Return
by RIP LEP
Summary: After defeating Voldemort, Harry mysteriously disappeared, leaving no clue where he had gone. He never intends to go back, but changes his mind after being reminded of the life he once lived.
1. A Mysterious Man

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. I promise.

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Swallow Drive was very much like every other suburban street in England. The immaculate, green lawns contained no toys or any other sign that people lived in the houses. The sidewalks were free of all chalk drawings, and the roads were smooth and black. Eerily similar, the houses stood next to each other in an unnaturally straight line. Big, expensive cars were parked in front of every house, and flowers grew in cheery, bright patches all long the yards.

There was, however, an exception to the cookie-cutter quality of the neighborhood. At the end of the street stood a house, which had probably once looked just like the other ones. Now, though, it was severely neglected, and it appeared quite deserted. The yard was un-cut, and the grass was yellowing and crisp. Bushes graced the walkway un-trimmed, reaching out to snag anyone who attempted to reach the door.

In the seven years he had lived there, no one in the neighborhood had ever properly met the man who lived in this house. The only glimpse they ever had of him was through the grimy windows, where he would sometimes sit, staring at nothing, for hours on end. Occasionally, he would venture onto the rickety porch, where he wood sit on a crumbling rocking chair and clutch a broomstick, tears threatening to spill from his shining eyes.

Swallow Drive residents thought the man was quite mad, and warned their children to stay away from him. Their children, of course, didn't listen, and spent countless hours amusing themselves by throwing rocks at his windows, setting snakes loose in his yard, and otherwise vandalizing his property.

Strangely, the man never reprimanded the children, nor did he ever complain to their parents. They though he seemed stuck in his own world, not caring about, or even noticing, what went on around him.

And, though they could not have known it, the residents of Swallow Drive were right. The strange, dark-haired man took no notice of his surroundings because he was stuck in another world. He spent his days re-living, though he tried not to, memories of his old life, a life he had been forced to abandon.

Images of places and people still came to him as clearly as if he had seen them only the day before. He could clearly picture a red-haired family, an incredibly intelligent brunette, a man with a long, white beard, and a castle where he and his friends had learned magic and fought the most evil wizard that had ever lived. Every day, he remembered a world that had spent seven years searching for Harry Potter.


	2. A Birthday

**Author's Note: It gets better later. It's my first fic. Be kind.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling. (Wink, wink). _Definitely_ not. (Nudge, nudge). Seriously, though. I own nothing.**

_Happy birthday to you,_

_Happy birthday to you._

_Happy birthday dear Hermione,_

_Happy birthday to you!_

The restaurant laughed as someone (Hermione, they supposed) blushed furiously while two identical redheads continued singing, having decided to serenade her with a special birthday song that was sung to the tune of a very slow funeral march. A young woman with red hair the same fiery shade as the twins began throwing pieces of bread at them, apparently irritated, but the small smile on her face betrayed her amusement. When the two young men finished their song, every table burst into an appreciative round of applause, chuckling even more as they stood up and bowed.

Groaning, the pretty brunette pulled the one nearest her back to his seat and indicated with a sweep of her hand that the other should do the same. With a twinkle in his eye he obliged, yet as soon as he sat down the other shot back up, grabbing Hermione's arm and pulling her to her feet.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Hermione Granger!" He ducked a blow coming from the brunette.

"Fred Weasley, I am going to kill you," she muttered. He merely winked.

The cheers eventually died out and Hermione was able to force a loudly protesting Fred back into his seat. The table burst into laughter as she sat down with a sigh. Hermione glared at them. Another redhead, noticing this, wiped the tears from his eyes and placed his hand on top of hers.

"Come on, Mione. It _was_ funny," he said. She stared stonily back at him. Shaking his head, he decided to attempt conversation with someone less prone to annoyance.

Unwilling to join his sister's conversation with her boyfriend, a Healer, who was prattling on about a new cure for spattergroit, and avoiding the twins' eyes for fear he might laugh again, Ron was left to stare blankly at his plate and wonder how long it would take the food to come. He was _starving_. Really, he could have eaten a hippogriff. His reflections about how hippogriff might taste were interrupted when he felt a squeeze on his hand. Looking up, he saw himself staring into the dancing eyes of his girlfriend.

"A regular Loony Lovegood, isn't he?" she asked, inclining her head towards Ginny's boyfriend who was trying to explain to Ginny what, precisely, spattergroit was. Ron smiled as Luna, who was sitting on the other side of Richard began arguing with him about how best to treat spattergroit. Ginny looked as if she was trying very hard not to role her eyes. He looked back at Hermione and scrunched his nose.

"A Galleon says he's not really a Healer."

Hermione laughed. "Better than the last one though," she remarked grimly. They shook their heads in silence for a moment as they remembered Willy, a self-proclaimed "Ministry man," who had turned out to be an alcoholic Ginny had picked up at a pub, and whose experience with the Ministry ended at getting fined for breeding dragons in his back yard.

"True," Ron replied. After all, _anyone_ was better than Willy. He grinned suddenly. "Remember when I had spattergroit?"

Hermione frowned for a moment, trying desperately to remember when her boyfriend had contracted spattergroit. Remembering that there was no such thing as spattergroit, she opened her mouth to argue when suddenly an image of a portrait shouting at Ron and an irate Ron shouting back flew into her mind. Her face cleared into a dazzling smile.

Noticing this, Ron continued. "He was a nutter, that one." His face darkened as he mumbled, "Naked, indeed."

Hermione burst into a fit of giggles. Ron's ears went red.

Beaming up at him, she spoke. "Harry and I were in stitches," she exclaimed. It took a moment for her to realize what she had said. Ron's face had darkened again. They sat awkwardly for a minute before Hermione timidly spoke.

"I wish he were here, Ron." At her words Ron looked up into her shining eyes. Trying to push images of his best friend out of his mind, Ron stroked her cheek, doing his best to comfort her.

They had never really recovered when Harry left. Ron's jaw tightened thinking about it. He remembered vividly the wild celebrations as everyone heard that Voldemort had been truly defeated. Everyone went mad. One day they had been fearing the Voldemort would never be vanquished, the next rumors were spreading like wildfire that Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, had fought and defeated the most powerful wizard the world had ever seen.

'Not everyone was so happy, though,' Ron thought. Over the next few days Harry spoke to no one and had a dead expression on his face. Ron would have been more than willing to share Harry's burden with him, whatever it was, but Harry isolated himself from everyone.

One day, not a week after he had defeated Voldemort, Harry disappeared. Everyone had been convinced at first that he was abducted by remaining Death Eaters who wanted revenge, but that theory was quashed when they found a note that Harry had left. Ron had the words memorized.

I've gone and I won't be coming back. Please don't waste your efforts searching for me, as I have taken steps to insure that you can't find me. I could never explain in a note why I must leave, nor would I attempt it, as I believe you are better off not knowing. Just remember that I would never leave any of you without good reason.

That was all. Four sentences on a crumpled piece of parchment was all that the world had heard from Harry Potter.

Disregarding the note's instructions, a search party had been organized immediately, just in case it _was _a kidnapping. All their efforts had been fruitless, however, just as the note had said they would be.

No one knew why Harry had left, and all had taken it badly. Ron had locked himself in his room and refused to come out. Hermione didn't stop crying for days. The twins were very fervent in their searching. The spoke to no one and devoted all their efforts to finding him. Ginny stomped around throwing and smashing things whenever she could. She snapped at people who spoke to her, and could be heard yelling from her room in the middle of the night.

Ron thought that Ginny had taken it the worst. She had been in love with him even though he had told her that he couldn't endanger her by having a relationship with her. Ginny had probably thought that Harry would go back to her when Voldemort was defeated. His departure had deeply grieved her, and Ginny defended herself the only way she knew how. She became very, very angry.

Her feelings still manifested themselves seven years later. She jumped from boyfriend to boyfriend, unable to love any because she still loved Harry. She had never quite given up hope that he would one day come back. Everyone else unanimously agreed that she would be destined to disappointment.

Ron was pulled roughly back into the present by the presentation of a large play of food under his nose. Greedily grabbing his fork and knife, he exchanged a sad glance with Hermione. Resolving to keep the tone light for her birthday, Ron began conversing with the others about happier things, and Hermione was only too happy to jump in.

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The man sat on a rough wooden chair and gazed out his window. His eyes found a lawn ornament across the street that bore striking resemblance to a garden gnome. His lips curved upward as memories flooded his mind.

He saw himself, much younger, carefully picking a gnome up. The twelve-year-old Harry began walking towards a wall where he was going to set the ugly thing down. He saw the gnome take advantage of the fact that Harry was not a Weasley who would compete to see if he could throw gnomes the furthest and bite his twelve-year-old self. He remembered the pain of the gnome's sharp teeth as they tore into his skin. He saw himself spinning wildly, trying his hardest to _get it off_. Harry remembered the relief he felt when the gnome went flying, and he recalled that he barely heard the Weasley twins' cries of admiration as the gnome went soaring over the fence and landed a good fifty feet away.

Harry still remembered that summer vividly. He remembered Molly Weasley fussing over him as if he were her favorite son. His eyes closed as he realized that Molly Weasley would treat him with nothing but contempt if she met him now. He knew that if he saw her again all she would be able to think about would be the fact that he was responsible for the deaths of her husband and two of her sons. Tears started running down his cheeks as horrible images of death flashed through his head.

His eyes shot open as he registered a loud sound that indicated one of his windows had been broken. He stood up slowly.

'No,' he thought to himself. 'I won't think of that anymore.'

Harry Potter promised himself this every day. And every day he was once more besieged by memories of a life he had left long ago.


	3. Questions and Answers

**Author's Note: I got my first review ever! And it was so nice, too. I was rather expecting a flame. Thank you so much, **Clopinette**! You're my new favorite person. :-D**

**Also, thanks for your wonderful review, **pink gecko**. It made me so happy! I really didn't want to kill anybody, but it seemed to me that in a family as large as the Weasley's, especially when they were so anti-Voldemort, there would be some deaths. You guessed correctly, by the way.**

**I hope you guys like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling. Who isn't me.**

After eating their meals and rather large desserts, the merry group exited the restaurant. They gave each other hugs and said quick good-byes, and everyone once again wished Hermione a happy birthday before disapparating, apparently to their homes, though one couldn't be too sure where Fred and George went. Soon, only Hermione and Ron were left.

Ron was suddenly very nervous. He rubbed the back of his neck and stood a bit apart from Hermione. The box in his pocket suddenly weighed a ton.

_Breathe, Ron_, he commanded himself. _In, out. In, out._ _Breathe._ He slowly exhaled. Looking at the birthday girl, who seemed impossibly beautiful, he panicked.

_There is no way she'd accept,_ he thought. He felt him pals getting sweaty.

His reflections were interrupted when Hermione took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you so much, Ron," she said. "Tonight was wonderful." She pulled his head towards hers and kissed him. Grinning, she began to walk down the street.

_Wonderful_, a voice sang in his head. _She thinks I do wonderful things!_ Ron quickly followed her.

Soon they arrived at her door. Ron turned towards her, completely aware that there were butterflies in his stomach on sugar high.

"I, er…I mean, I—" Ron stared stupidly at her.

Amused, Hermione cut him off. "Would you like to come in? My mother wants to talk to you, or something. She told me to make sure you came in…" She trailed off, not entirely sure what the whiteness of his face and the trembling of his hands and knees meant. Surely her mother wasn't _that_ scary. Maybe something had happened when she was finishing her hair. She shrugged the thought off and gave him a nervous smile.

Heartened by her grin, Ron found himself suddenly able to once more use his voice. "I'd love to come in," he replied evenly, if a bit higher than usual. Anxiety was to be expected after all. Taking a breath, he walked in.

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Eileen Granger beamed as she looked from her daughter to Ron. A blind person could see that they were madly in love with each other.

Remembering what was outside, she looked questioningly at Ron. Slightly pale, Ron gave her a small nod. That was her cue.

"Well, I should be going upstairs now. I'm exhausted," she told them as she gave a highly exaggerated yawn. "So sleepy." She gave Ron a secretive smile and tried to communicate her faith in her daughter's answer. The poor boy looked like he needed a vote of confidence. Or several. She quickly went up the stairs.

_Is my mother _skipping Hermione thought to herself. Shaking her head she looked back at her boyfriend, who was perspiring profusely. _They've all gone mad._

_Courage, man. Courage._ For some reason, his silent instructions did nothing to help. Feeling like he couldn't move, he looked at Hermione. His heart suddenly swelled and the butterflies melted away. She had that effect on him. After receiving a smile that made him feel like he could do anything, he was ready.

"Hermione," he began. "Let's go outside." Taking her hand, he commenced leading her down the hall.

The path to the garden was strewn with rose petals. She gasped in wonder as she noticed the fairies lighting it up. Hermione had never seen the garden look more beautiful. Her eyes widened as they came to the fountain. The water reflected the light of hundreds of fairies, and the reflections danced upon the basin. It was absolutely magical.

She turned to look at Ron, ready to thank him for this fantastic birthday and gasped. The tall man was kneeling beside her. Her hands trembled as he took them.

"Hermione," he said. Her mouth dropped open in surprise. He went on. "I may not have always loved you. Or even liked you," he added, his eyes dancing at the memory of a condescending know-it-all pointing out a spot of dirt in his nose. She laughed. "But I have come to see that there is no one in the world I would rather spend my life with. You're smart, beautiful, and caring, and I love you with all my heart." He let go of her hand and pulled out the small velvet box that had been in his pocket all night. Hermione's breathing quickened. "Hermione Granger," Ron continued, his voice shaking with emotion. "Will you marry me?"

The end of his speech was greeted with silence. In his head, Ron wished desperately that she would say yes. Hermione merely stared.

After what seemed like an eternity to Ron, Hermione smiled at him. "Of course I'll marry you, Ron," she cried happily. "I love you," she added as an afterthought.

Delirious with pleasure, he picked her up and swung her around. "I'm getting married!" he bellowed to the night. She laughed as he put her on the ground and swooped down for a kiss.

Though they were excited for the couple, all the spectators who had been watching from Hermione's bedroom shook their heads in disgust. Turning away from the sight they beamed at each other. After all, they had been waiting for this for a very long time.

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He had located the broken window and was slowly picking up the rock that had apparently broken it. The gang of boys raced away on their bikes, laughing and shouting. Saddened, he looked at the shards of glass that littered the floor. _What a bother it would be to pick it up,_ he thought. _Maybe I could just…_ After glancing around nervously as if he were expecting the neighbors to have forced their way in and watch him to make sure he did no magic, he closed his eyes. He made himself remember every detail of his wand, down to he scratch it had gotten during the Battle. Clearing his mind of all other thoughts except his wand, he tried to summon it. _Accio Wand!_ He held his breath and waited, heat beating fast. Nothing happened. Harry kept his eyes closed and ordered again, _Accio Wand!_ He had resigned himself to disappointment when he heard a whistling sound and opened his eyes to spot his soaring wand drop into his outstretched hand.

Staring in shock, he noticed a warmth traveling from his hand, up his arm, and through the rest of his body. He didn't remember how very _right_ this felt. Clutching his wand, he made a sweeping motion and all the glass pieces disappeared.

Checking to make sure no one was watching he pointed it at the window and said, "Reparo!" To his shock, a sparklingly clean window replaced the jagged remainders that had been there moments before. Smiling wider than he had in years, Harry Potter went to bed.

Hundreds of miles away in an immaculate building, a man named John was napping in his chair. John's job was to monitor magic. He needed to make sure that underage and unqualified wizards didn't perform spells. Seven years ago, he had been given another responsibility. If ever a certain wizard practiced magic, he was to locate the wizard and tell the Minister of Magic.

A beeping sound suddenly filled the room. John woke up with a start and looked around, bleary-eyed, for the source of the noise. He fully woke up when he saw that a flashing had started. He read the two words and his eyes widened. He quickly pressed a few buttons and more words formed above him.

_Liverpool_, it read. _Swallow Drive_.

He quickly scribbled a note and sent it off to the Minister. He had found Harry Potter.

**Author's Note: Sorry if the proposal was a bit off. I'm not very good at writing cute things like that.**


	4. Reactions

Author's Note: Wow. Six reviews so far, and all of them are brilliant. Thank you guys so much! And I'm on four favorites lists! Does jig Thanks to earp124, fatman9000, jackhea, and Xiel Rose Sylravdrawolmor. Hope you like this one.

pink gecko**: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! You'll see what happens with Ginny and Harry. There will be…obstacles. I'll get there pretty soon. I think. Thank you so much for your reviews! They never fail to make me smile. I'm deathly afraid that I'm going to write something really stupid and that you'll hate it, though. When this happens, break it to me gently, please.**

Schatje**: Thanks for your review! I'm so glad you enjoy it. I was completely worried that everyone would hate it and the only reviews I got would be "Ew, this sucks." Thanks so much for telling me you like it.**

Wolf's scream**: Later in the story you'll find out why Harry left. It'll make more sense then. I promise. When I first came up with the idea, I didn't think that worked either, but it all comes together. I hope. Any time you could point out errors would be fantastic. You could put them in reviews or email me, which ever is easiest. I think you can access my email through my profile. That would be a great help, and I would be forever grateful. And thank you for saying it's well-written. I am definitely showing that to my English teacher. :-D**

vegetarians ROCK**: Your review made me so incredibly happy, I can't even describe it. I couldn't stop smiling all night! I hope you aren't disappointed with this chapter. Watch you hate it. I'll cry.**

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, and therefore own nothing. Plus, if JK Rowling is posting stories on websites, I must insist that she get back to work.**

Doing his best to stay awake, the Minister continued to read an extraordinarily dull report about the quality (or lack thereof) of modern quills. His eyes drooped even lower as he concluded a paragraph about why excessive ink dripping was a serious problem that should be dealt with decisively.

After reading the same tedious sentence ten times, he gave up his struggle and decided to submit to his exhaustion. However, the Minister's cheek had barely touched his desk when he received a sharp jab on the top of his head. Startled, he sat up and tried to determine what had hit him. Sensing something behind him, he quickly turned. Floating in front of him was a deceptively innocent-looking paper rocket.

Frowning slightly, them Minister reached for the note. Paper rockets, though much faster than the paper airplanes normally used, were only used for very important memos due to their disturbing habit of shooting into people's eyes.

His frown deepened as his eyes flicked rapidly across the page. With a disbelieving expression etched firmly on his face he stared at the parchment, apparently in shock. Now fully awake, he leaned closer to his desk and re-read it. Several times. Finally finished, he placed the note carefully on his desk and leaned back in his chair. After staring at nothing for a moment his face broke into a wide grin.

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Hand in hand, Ron and Hermione made there way back into the house. Both were positively glowing. They were entering the living room when they were greeted by everyone they had shared Hermione's birthday dinner with, all of whom looked expectantly at the couple.

Hermione beamed at Ron while he launched into a very detailed, if long-winded, description of the night's events. She noticed the guest's rather bored expressions and the twins' less subtle yawns and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.

Ron and Hermione seemed to have a secret conversation with their eyes before they smiled at each other and Ron looked back up to continue his story. The remainder of the story was rather short and to the point.

Glancing down at the beauty in his arms, Ron smiled at the crowd listening to him. "We're getting married!" he announced happily.

The cheers were deafening, and there was no time for the happy couple to react before they were enveloped in a large group hug. As everyone wished them the best, the twins began to chant and Richard looked at Ginny with an appraising expression on his face. No one noticed this as the males in the room slapped Ron on the back and guffawed and the females shrieked and squealed over Hermione's engagement ring. Indeed, it was a rather nice ring as Ron's fortunes had vastly improved since becoming a well-respected auror and he believed that the love of his life deserved the very best of everything.

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The mayhem hadn't died down two hours later, partly due to the twins' seemingly endless supply of firewhiskey. It had become rather loud and raucous, and Ginny had hidden herself away in the library.

Looking around, Ginny snorted. Of course Hermione would have a library. Yet the small smile on her face disappeared as she remembered times she had been in a library, times when she believed that one day she would have an announcement much like her brother's.

Sighing, she remembered a black-haired man, a boy who had had to grow up much too soon. She remembered the swooping sensation she felt in her stomach every time she saw him. Tears began streaming down her cheek as she recalled how safe she had felt with him and how very much she had wanted to spend her life with him.

Her expression hardened as she thought of how he left without telling anybody. How he had left without saying good-bye.

Ginny rested her head on the arm of the chair. She had tried to forget him, but she couldn't. Every time she went out with anyone, no matter how great they were, all she could think of was how they weren't him. It was becoming a problem.

Richard loved her. She knew that, and she knew that he was a great guy, if somewhat dim. He truly cared for her and he was willing to give her everything. But she couldn't help hating his eyes for not being green, hating his hair for not being black, hating his forehead for having no scar, even hating him because he wasn't Harry.

She made herself breathe. No one could see her like this. Ginny had spent six years trying to convince herself and everyone else that she didn't love him anymore, that she didn't even miss him. She wouldn't spoil that by showing anyone what a lie that was.

Taking a last deep breath, Ginny stood up and began to make her way to the door. She had only taken a few steps before a familiar head of abundant brown hair peered into the room.

"Oh, hello Ginny! I couldn't take it anymore. I'm fairly certain my mother's drunk and Fred and George just started singing. I don't know what, they were slurring it quite a bit," she said quickly. Noticing the redhead's tear-stained face Hermione spoke again. "Ginny! What's the matter?"

"Nothing at all, Mione. I'm fine, really," she added as she saw Hermione's incredulous expression.

"You're not fine, Ginny."

Ginny sat down on the chair in defeat. She knew Hermione wouldn't let her leave until she had revealed the reason for her tears. They sat in silence for a minute, Hermione waiting for Ginny, who couldn't bring herself to worry Hermione on her special day.

Finally, she began to speak. "It's nothing, Hermione, really. I was just…remembering. It's silly. It's been so long, but I just can't…" Ginny trailed off as tears tried to fight their way out once again.

Hermione looked sadly at her friend. She had, of course, known that Ginny still had feelings for Harry. She hadn't, however, realized that they were this strong.

"Ginny, listen to me. I know it's hard…he was my best friend. But it's been seven years. He's not coming back." Hermione paused and tried to keep her voice even. "You need to get over him. He made his decision when he left. We need to accept that and move on." She noticed the fresh tears sliding down her friend's cheek. Pulling Ginny into a hug, she continued. "He's not worth it, Ginny. He's not worth destroying your entire life for."

"But what if he comes back?"

Hermione looked at her sharply. "He won't. Not ever." Deeply saddened by Ginny's feelings, Hermione plowed ahead, trying to make the other girl feel better. "He left us, Ginny. He can't possibly expect for us to wait for him forever. We've all continued our lives. It's time for you to live yours."

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Sitting on a couch, Richard was completely oblivious to the two people tangled together next to him. He was completely lost in his thoughts about a gorgeous girl who he loved. Ginny was everything he wanted in a wife. She was sweet, caring, beautiful, and smart. Of course, she could be rather temperamental and sarcastic, but Richard was convinced she would grow out of that.

Richard tried to imagine spending the rest of his life with Ginny Weasley. It wasn't difficult, as she was a rather fantastic person. _Yes,_ he thought. _She would be a wonderful wife._

His eyes followed Hermione Granger as she re-entered the room. He saw her walk to Ron and smile at him. Grinning, Ron pulled her into an embrace. Richard wanted that.

He spied a bit of red by the door and saw Ginny, standing by the wall, a vision in her strappy black dress. Richard made up his mind: He was going to propose to Ginny.


	5. Decisions

**Author's Note: Thank you **Outsider08Harry+Ginny4evaHarryPotterObsessed**, and **Clopinette** for your wonderful reviews. I've never been more delighted. Also, thanks to the crazy people who put my story on their favorites and/or alerts lists. Though you're insane and possibly illiterate, I love you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I (still) own nothing.**

Thinking that they would never find Harry, the Ministry of Magic had never developed a detailed plan of what they would do if they ever did. They had installed the system for monitoring his magic soon after he left, using recently refined spells and such that Harry wouldn't know of. Two years later, they had been able to improve it by adding a component that could trace the magic to what street it came from. The Ministry had a plan of what to do should Harry's magic be traced using these methods because after all the time and effort that had been spent on them, they would have been fools not to.

But it had been seven years since Harry disappeared, and no one really thought he would come back. As such, they made only vague plans detailing what should happen if he was found, and the Minister was trying to figure out what to do next.

The Ministry's plans, however lacking, did make one thing perfectly clear: If ever he was found, Harry was to be retrieved. As the Minister contemplated this, however, doubts began to litter his mind. After all, Harry obviously did not wish to be found. And hadn't Harry proved time and time again that he was perfectly capable of making sound decisions? Frankly, the Minister didn't see how it was any of the Ministry's business where Harry went and whether or not he chose to maintain contact with anyone.

His brow furrowed. Rumors were sure to circulate. John may well have been the most indiscreet man in England, after all. The Minister knew he couldn't survive it if the public found out that he had done nothing to find Harry Potter.

_It's not the business of the magical world what Harry Potter does with his life,_ a voice said in his head. He snorted. The magical world had a funny way of deciding what was and what was not their business.

Sighing, he read the note again. It looked like he was going to visit Swallow Drive.

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Richard smiled as he looked at the girl sitting next to him. He didn't notice how sad she looked. He was too full of plans to notice.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her off the couch. She was too surprised to resist. Not heeding Ginny's protests, he dragged her out of the room.

"Richard! Stop. Where are we going?" He took no notice of her cries.

Ginny was shocked to find that she was being steered into the library. Not only slightly angry with the room, but also more than a bit miffed at being _steered_, Ginny re-claimed her arm and fixed Richard with an angry glare.

Finally noticing that his girlfriend of one month was less than pleased, Richard tried to explain.

"Ginny, I just wanted to say…Well, I really wanted… What I mean is…" He trailed off, noticing her livid expression.

"Do get on with it, Richard _dear_," she said icily.

A greater man than Richard Bolster would have been cowed by the furious stare Ginny fixed on him.

Re-grouping, Richard tried again.

"Ginny, I realize that we haven't been seeing each other for a long time, but I love you. You're a very nice person, and you're really gorgeous, and I want nothing more than to make you my wife." Ginny stared. Richard gulped. "So… What do you say?"

It would be impossible to describe all the emotions that flooded Ginny at his words. Suffice it to say that she was a bit overwhelmed.

Her first inclination was to tell him no. Of course not. She loved _Harry_. But Hermione's words came floating back into her head.

'He's not coming back… You need to get over him… He's not worth it… Move on… Live… You need to get over him.'

As her long-standing feelings for Harry wrestled with Hermione's wisdom, Richard watched Ginny nervously. It was taking an awful long time for her to respond. He resisted the urge to prompt her again.

'He left.' Ginny was freshly reminded of the hurt and anger she had felt so many years ago when she found out that Harry had disappeared. Refusing to believe it, Ginny had searched for him without resting for months. One day she realized that he had really gone. She was forced to face the fact that he had willingly left the only life he had ever known. That he had left _her_.

Suddenly her eyes re-focused, and she saw Richard waiting in front of her. Her eyes widened ever so slightly. She had stumbled across the perfect opportunity to move on.

Barely managing a smile, she only said one word.

"Yes."

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The party had died down. Hermione's mother who was, in fact, drunk, was ushered to the guest bedroom after she began to sing virtually unrecognizable songs with the Weasley twins. They, in turn, had been sent home for intoxicating Mrs. Granger. Without the twins and their alcohol-induced antics, most people realized it was past three A.M. and left. In addition to Mrs. Weasley, who was bustling about and attempting to restore some semblance of neatness to the home, and the happy couple, only Luna Lovegood and Nymphadora Tonks remained.

Tonks was doing her best to help Molly Weasley but as she hadn't managed to outgrow her klutziness Molly thought that the wisest course of action would be to keep Tonks as far away from the large bag of trash that was already threatening to spill as possible. Over the years, Molly had found that the best way of distracting the girl was to keep her talking.

"So, Tonks dear, where's Remus?"

"Oh, he's working late at the Ministry again. Won't be home for hours. I owled him about the engagement, but he hasn't—Do you need help with that?"

"No, dear, don't concern yourself," Molly replied as she tried to tug the plates out of Tonks' reach.

"Okay," Tonks said uncertainly. "He works ever so much. Not that I'm complaining—We knew that he'd have to work a lot when he accepted it. But still, it's a shame he has to miss stuff like this."

"Yes, a real shame, dear," Molly muttered distractedly, attempting to scrape some soggy black mush of a plate.

"Oh, Molly, I'll help!" Tonks said brightly as she rushed toward the sink.

"It's fine, dear, I've got it un—" But Molly was too late.

BANG. The plate exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces as a result of Tonks' beastly attempt to curse the mush off.

Tonks was still apologizing to a mildly irritated Molly when Ginny and Richard entered the room. Hearing Tonks' wails and spying the plate pieces all over the floor, Ginny figured out what happened. She began to laugh.

Just noticing her daughter's entrance, Mrs. Weasley turned to her and her boyfriend.

"And where have you two been?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

To everyone's surprise, Ginny paled a bit and looked up at Richard.

He smiled winningly at everyone and said, "Ginny has just accepted my marriage proposal."

No one missed the fact that his tone rather suggested that he had just purchased an especially fine horse. But at his words Ginny grinned, and they ignored it for the sake of her happiness.

As everyone crowded around them and bid them congratulations, Ginny smiled. This was the perfect way to get Harry out of her head.

**Author's Note: Please review!**


	6. Conversations

**Author's Note:** Sorry this chapter was so long in coming. I went through several drafts, but I kept losing the plot. I think this one keeps it on track nicely. The next one (Which will be up sooner! I hope.) will move the story ahead more, I promise.

**Schatje:** At last someone sympathizes with Ginny! I felt bad about doing that to her the day they found Harry, and it'll really cause her problems later on, but I needed it. And, yes, he is. I thought I was being sneaky, too. Kind of. I realize now it wasn't that difficult to guess. Oh well. Thanks for your reviews. Please keep them coming!

**Wolf's scream:** In this chapter, people's reactions are shown in more detail, and the stealing of the spotlight issue is addressed. I would like to also point out that Richard was a bit drunk and thought it would be a great idea. And I've always seen Ginny as a character that might make big decisions like that a bit impetuously. She was under severe emotional stress, too, so I feel like she was so caught up in her feelings and the "opportunity" that she just made a decision.

**SCANDALOUS:** Thank you so much for your review! It made me incredibly happy. I read it right after I threw out one of my bizarre versions of this chapter when I was completely crazed and confident that this story was awful. It gave me a bit of a self-esteem boost. Thanks a bunch!

**pink gecko:** Alas, you figured it out too. I really must be stealthier in the future. Thanks so much for your review! I was really in an ill temper at the time, caused by, what else, this chapter, and it let me clear my head a bit and just finish this one so I could move on to the next chapter which, I solemnly swear, will be better.

**Disclaimer:** I own no characters, places, etc. Except Richard. But you can have him.

The silence was rudely interrupted by a loud CRACK that rang through the night.

A man suddenly appeared at one end of Swallow Drive. He was middle-aged, though his mostly grey hair and lined face made him look older.

Scanning the houses along the street, he raised his eyebrow. It reminded him strongly of a place he knew Harry would never wish to remember. His eyes then focused on a house that looked out of place in the neighborhood of immaculate homes. The yard was wild, and house looked like a gust of wind would knock it over. It had a distinctly gloomy air.

_That'll be the place,_ the Minister thought to himself, smiling faintly.

Shaking his head, he began to make his way down the street.

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Hermione surveyed the happily hugging group thoughtfully. Ginny and Richard were getting married. Interesting.

She frowned slightly as she remembered the conversation she had had with Ginny earlier. _Surely_ Ginny wouldn't have accepted Richard's proposal to use it as a way to move on and forget about Harry. She cringed as she looked at her friend and realized that that was the very thing Ginny would do.

Ron was slightly put out. This was _his_ engagement party, after all. His eyed narrowed as he looked at Richard.

_He planned this!_ Ron thought. _He _wanted_ to steal the attention. Nasty, attention-seeking, annoying prat._

Ron couldn't suppress a scowl.

_Ron doesn't look very happy,_ Ginny thought nervously. _It _was_ a bit stupid to do it tonight. Maybe we shouldn't have told anyone. Maybe I shouldn't have said yes._

Ginny mentally shook herself. She mustn't second-guess her decision. _It was a good decision._ She didn't know how many times she would have to tell herself that until she would believe it.

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The Minister found himself standing on the porch in a shorter time than he would have believed possible. He eyed the door suspiciously, as though afraid of what he would find inside.

It had been seven years since he had seen Harry. He had no idea why Harry had left, just like the rest of the world, and he was extraordinarily curious. But he was also frightened.

He felt a rush of emotions as he recalled his experiences with Harry. The Minister remembered a young boy, encountering and conquering things grown wizards had never faced. He remembered a boy determined to do his best to fight the fights that needed fighting. The Minister recalled a boy that had faced the normal troubles of a teenager, with some success, and had saved the world from the greatest power that had ever been known.

The Minister was scared because he had known the boy so well, and he knew nothing about the man he was about to meet.

Taking a breath, he knocked on the door.

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Harry was startled out of his reverie by a knock at the door.

He frowned. No one ever visited him. He was quite certain they all thought him quite mad and told their children to stay away.

Getting up, he made his way down the stairs and towards the door. He could barely see the outline of a figure through the layers of dust that had collected on the door.

Harry cautiously opened the door. His eyes widened as he saw the man in front of him. Memories flooded his mind. Questions raced through his head as he stood staring at this most unexpected visitor.

"Hello, Harry," the Minister said pleasantly, though he was obviously nervous.

Harry merely gaped.

Eventually, he found his voice.

"Remus?" he whispered.

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After Lupin assured him several times that he was very comfortable, and, no, he didn't want anything to eat, Harry sat opposite his guest and looked at him searchingly.

There was one question in particular that Harry desperately wanted to ask his old teacher, but he decided that Lupin would tell him in his own good time. Instead, he asked another question that had been bothering him.

"How did you find me?"

Lupin smiled. "You know how we can detect underage magic?" Without waiting for a response, Lupin went on. "With a bit of tweaking the system was able to be manipulated to detect your magic, too."

Harry nodded. He had thought it was that. Curse that window.

The old friends sat in silence for another couple of minutes, each sipping their tea awkwardly.

Unable to wait any longer, Harry opened his mouth to ask why Lupin had come when another though struck his mind.

"Why did they send you?" Noticing the confused look on Lupin's face, Harry asked, more specifically, "When they located me. Why did they send you?"

Chuckling a bit, Lupin set his cup of tea down.

"Well, Harry," he began. "No one sent me." He hesitated. "I'm the Minister of Magic."

Harry dropped his cup.

Laughing now, Lupin cleared the fragments with a wave of his wand.

"Surprising, isn't it?" he said merrily.

Startled, Harry looked at him.

"No! I mean, why wouldn't you be the Minister? It's just that… What I mean is, well… What about your _problem_?" Harry inquired significantly.

Lupin laughed still harder at this.

"It _was_ a… An obstacle," Lupin admitted. "But it turns out I'm rather popular," he continued proudly. "You know, after Voldemort and—" Lupin stopped suddenly.

Harry _did_ know. He knew too well. Impatiently, he pushed those thoughts out of his head. Looking back at Lupin, Harry managed a faint smile. Of course Lupin would be popular. He had fought very well.

Cringing at his mistake, Lupin continued cautiously.

"Harry, we've been looking for you for seven years."

Harry looked alarmed at this. Lupin continued.

"Why did you leave, Harry?"

Silence greeted his question.

Mutely, Harry got up from his chair and walked to the window. He didn't know what to do. Rubbing his temples, he turned to face Lupin.

"Not tonight, Remus," he said quietly. "Not tonight."

Lupin understood. So he moved to the next subject he needed to touch on.

"Harry, I won't pretend to have any idea why you left, because I haven't got a clue. But there is one thing I must ask." Harry looked at Lupin warily.

Taking this as his cue to continue, Lupin asked, "Will you come back Harry?"

Harry looked helplessly at his old friend and flopped wearily onto a chair. He didn't have an answer.

**Author's Note:** Reviewing makes me post faster…

I realize this chapter was kind of pointless, but I felt like I needed it to get to the point where I could get the story moving. It really moves ahead leaps and bounds in the next chapter. So review, and I'll write.


	7. Invitations

**Author's Note:** Thank you **MargretLilyPotter** and **Schatje** for your reviews! I decided they were enough to get me to post this chapter. I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** This is me, owning nothing.

They had spent hours arguing, but Lupin finally gave up. Harry could not be persuaded, however much Lupin sensed that he wanted to be.

Sighing, he stood up.

"I must go, Harry," he said, disappointed that he'd be leaving alone. "Are you sure you won't come with me."

Harry looked very much like he would like to go with him. That expression, however, passed and he replied tiredly, "I'm sorry, Remus. I can't."

Accepting his words with a silent nod, Lupin nevertheless decided to try a different tactic. He had noticed Harry's expression,

"That's a shame, Harry. You can call on me anytime. I really must go now, though." His eyes shone with hope as he continued, "Tonks will be waiting."

Harry's head shot up at the familiar name.

"Tonks?"

"Yes," Lupin replied, feigning surprise that this got Harry's attention. "We got married."

As Lupin had predicted, Harry became confused once more. He couldn't help remembering Tonks and missing her. He wanted more than ever to go back. But his resolution held, barely.

"That's really fantastic," Harry said, his mouth dry. "Congratulations."

He couldn't help the hollow feeling in his stomach. How many things like this had he missed?

"Thank you," Lupin said. Deciding to push the advantage he knew he had gained, he ploughed ahead. "She's probably not missing me much right now, though." Harry looked at him. "I bet she's too caught up in the excitement."

"Excitement?" Harry croaked.

"Didn't I tell you?" Lupin asked, raising his eyebrows. After seeing a small shake of Harry's head he went on. "Ron and Hermione just got engaged."

Harry froze.

His two best friends were getting married. Though he tried to block them, thoughts and memories of them flooded his mind. He grew suddenly sad as he realized that he had missed thousands of new memories over the years.

One look at Harry's face told Lupin that he had planted the seed. Smiling, he bid Harry good-bye once more and walked out the door.

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When Lupin finally arrived at his house, day was dawning. Barely managing to keep his eyes open, he stumbled into the kitchen where he found Tonks reading the Prophet. Seeing him, she quickly got up and ran to him.

"Bit of a late night, then?" she asked mischievously as she kissed him.

He pulled her closer with a wolfish grin.

Tonks was slightly dazed when they came up for air, and she clumsily made her way back to her seat, grinning widely.

After several sips of coffee she had collected herself enough to inquire about what happened at work. His hand slipped of the counter, though she didn't notice.

Several thoughts raced through his head.

_She's my wife. I should tell her._

_I shouldn't tell _anyone

_It's Tonks! She's his friend!_

_He doesn't want anyone to know._

"Nothing Earth-shattering," he said. It wasn't a lie.

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Several months had passed since that day. Wedding plans were in full swing, and the big day for Ron and Hermione was fast approaching.

Their imminent nuptials caused much excitement.

Hermione had become so hysterical when she lost the seating chart they had spent, quite literally, weeks planning that she shredded the dress she had selected. No one wanted to tell her that the caterer had cancelled.

Ron had stopped coming out of his room when Fred and George started ambushing him whenever they saw him to discuss his bachelor party. When forced to leave the safety of his bed he walked around with his eyes widened and peeked around corners before proceeding ahead. No one wanted to tell him what the twins had planned.

To calm them, Cheering Charms were administered to each of them about once a week, twice when bad things happened, which was shockingly frequently. They were now a _very _happy couple.

Ginny, on the other hand, had been becoming progressively more melancholy every day. No one knew exactly what was bothering her—Hermione guessed, but said nothing—and everyone was too busy to find out.

Remus had been more thoughtful since that night, but tried to make it appear as though nothing was amiss.

Tonks, who could read him like a book, became steadily more suspicious every day, though she had no idea what had caused the change in her husband. She did know, though, that it had happened that night.

In Liverpool, Harry thought about his old life every day. Lupin's visit had released in avalanche of memories Harry didn't know he had. Every single thing served as a reminder of the life he had once lived. But he was able to control himself. He wouldn't go back. He couldn't.

He had reckoned, of course, without Lupin's plan.

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One March morning, Harry woke up at an unusually early time. As he slowly faded into consciousness, he became aware of a tapping sound. Looking drowsily around, he saw a shape outside his window.

Wishing the children would let him sleep, he turned over and shut his eyes. But the tapping persisted.

Grunting, he slowly stood up and walked towards the window, where the tapping had reached a frenzied state. Eyeing it suspiciously, Harry opened the window.

Before he could react, an owl shot into the room and landed on his bed, where it hooted importantly.

Bewildered, Harry cautiously approached the owl. It appeared to him to be crazed.

The owl didn't, in fact, attack Harry, but stuck out its leg, displaying a very nice white envelope.

Amazed, he took it from the owl. Having successfully delivered the letter, the owl hooted happily and soared out the window.

After watching it go, Harry looked down at the envelope. Turning it over, he saw his name in loopy, gold writing. Frowning slightly, he opened it.

Inside was a piece of creamy white parchment. Harry read it and froze.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Granger

request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their daughter

Hermione Jane

and

Mr. Ronald Weasley

On Saturday morning, April the fifteenth

at ten o'clock

12 Basing Street 

London

He didn't know how long he stared at the letter. Though their marriage had been in his thoughts for months, invitations made it so much more real. For the first time he realized that he would miss one of the most important events of his friends' lives.

It was only then Harry noticed another piece of paper in the envelope.

Taking it out, he recognized Lupin's handwriting.

Just in case.

**Author's Note:** The leaps and bounds will occur in the _next_ chapter. I really promise this time. I just wanted to get this one up.

Just a hint: Reviewing makes the author update faster!


	8. A Wedding

**Author's Note:** Sorry this was so long in coming, but I had a completely different chapter that I was about to post ages ago when I realized that it was completely not what I wanted for the chapter. Plus, school's just started, and with that and practice, I'm not certain how much I'll be able to update. Hopefully, I'll get to do it every weekend. I think that will work. I'll make it work.

Thanks for all the reviews!

**Schatje:** Thanks so much for all your reviewing! You see Harry's decision this chapter. I completely agree that he has to save her! Question is, will she let him?

**Graham Mallalieu:** I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for all your reviews.  
**earp124:** Thanks! You see if Harry comes back in this chapter. I think the more interesting part is what happens after he comes back, and I hope you read the next chapter and agree with me!

**Jarno:** You won't find out why Harry left for a while, but I've planned out the scene already and I really like it. **I might just give a little preview of it one day if I get enough reviews (hint, hint).** I don't make any promises about this chapter relieving your anxiety, but I hope it'll make you forget it for a while.

**bubble:** Thanks for your review! It made me feel bubbly! Okay, I'm a dork, read on anyway.

**Kd7sov:** Read on and you'll find out! Thanks for reviewing, it's so great reading them, and it makes we work harder. And write faster. **HINT.** I hope this keeps your interest!

**Vampirehelsing:** I get to a good point in this chapter, and it really picks up in the next one. That's the plan, anyway. Thanks for your review!

**sarahhhhhhhh:** Thanks for your review! I really hope you like this chapter. On another note, I have a friend named Sarah. She only spells it with one h, though ;-)

**Outsider08:** I hope you like it!

**fuzzylumpkins82:** You have no idea how happy your review made me! I hate those too, I'm like, "the conflict was where…?" I'm so glad you like it! It moves a bit faster from now on, but that's just moving from point to point. I guarantee this won't be a one-chapter resolution. I hope you like this chapter!

**bigkid-42m:** It helped! Review this one and I might get the next one up before next century (grumblegrumblehomeworkgrumblegrumbleevilteachersgrumblegrumble).

**5CANDALOUS:** Thank you so much! Hope you like this one! If you don't, read the next one anyway. I can make it better, I promise.

**Wolf's scream:** Sorry, I had been putting things like that in when I was writing, but they never showed up! I think I fixed it. I hope. I completely wasn't even thinking when I made the day. I just looked up what would be the nicest months in England (because I'm a dork and felt like I should) and I really liked April for the wedding, and I didn't want it in the beginning of the month because of Fred and George's birthday, and I didn't want it at the end because I thought it would be too hot. It's my sister's birthday, too, and I didn't even think of THAT when I made it the date. I'm so scattered.

**pink gecko:** School's completely bombarding me too. One of my textbooks is the size of my niece. It might be bigger. I really hope you like this chapter! Your reviews are the best part of posting this, so I really, really hope you like it.

**Tomanak:** Thanks so much!  
**stressygirl:** :-D I'm so glad you like it!

**Chaos023:** I hope reviewing was worth it!  
**Rose:** When I thought of the wedding bit, I had a way I wanted to do it, and it's kind of similar…you see more of it in the next chapter.

**Noshiwoshi:** Thanks! I know coming from me that would be really big since all summer I lived on ff's, so thank you so much!

**IndieRock'n'Roll:** Thanks for your review! It very nearly made me change how I was going to go about Harry showing up, but in the end I did what I planned. Yours sounded really good, though. There's more about it in the next chapter, and it's more similar in that one, but it's not quite the same… I hope you like it anyway!

**supermansweez:** I hope it was worth the wait!

**Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing. Except my cat, but that's different.

Though he meant to, Harry couldn't bring himself to throw out the invitation. His body refused to part with this last connection to his old life, and so it stayed on a dirty counter, gathering dust as the days wore on.

Harry would catch himself looking at it sometimes, and he had to give himself a mental shake and repeat that he couldn't go back. Not ever. Not after… He just couldn't.

Still, every time he saw it, he had to resist the urge to but new dress robes.

April fourteenth dawned cold and wet, though the rain that had been falling dismally for a week had stopped in the night. The bright rising sun promised a bright and lovely day, and offered further hope for Ron and Hermione's wedding day.

Ron and Hermione's wedding. Harry still hadn't fully comprehended that his two best friends were getting married. In his mind he still imagined an eighteen-year-old boy who took nothing very seriously, was quite immature, and wished to remain a child forever. He saw a girl who was a bit too serious, obnoxious at times, and couldn't abide Ron's silliness. It seemed impossible that they had fallen in love and were ready to commit their lives to each other. It seemed impossible that he had missed that.

He shouldn't have missed that.

He didn't want to have missed that.

He shouldn't miss this either.

Slowly, Harry picked up the invitation. It looked as though he would need some new dress robes after all.

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Hermione sat in front of Ginny, her face white and her hands trembling. She had tried on her wedding dress again and it had suddenly occurred to her that she was getting married that day. Ginny spoke in soothing tones, desperately wishing she were somewhere, anywhere, else. When Hermione had realized that there was only a week until her wedding last Friday, she somehow made the fireplace explode and Fred took a brick to the head.

"You're going to have a very happy life," Ginny said, realizing almost immediately that she shouldn't have said it.

Hermione gripped Ginny's hands in a way that rather suggested she intended to rip them off Ginny's arms. Her face was paler than ever.

"Life?" she whispered faintly. Ginny winced, sure an explosion of some sort was coming.

The door opened, and Hermione began to wail.

"You're not supposed to see me in my dress before the wedding!" she cried.

"I'm not!" Ron said hurriedly. "See? I'm not looking!"

"You saw me!" Hermione accused.

"No, really Mione, I promise I didn't see you." Hermione looked slightly mollified.

"Why are you here?" she asked calmly.

"I came to talk to Ginny," he said, still carefully looking away from Hermione.

Placated, Hermione looked at herself in the mirror.

Shaking her head, Ginny walked to her brother.

"The planner said you might need back-up," he said quietly.

"She was in a right state," Ginny whispered. "But she seems okay now." She gave a sidelong glance to Hermione, who was now spinning in front of the mirror.

"I wouldn't know," Ron said, determinedly looking anywhere except his fiancée. Ginny smiled.

"Get out of here," she said playfully.

"Richard said he might come help," Ron added.

Ginny's smile was rather forced as she said, "That would be lovely. But tell him he needn't bother: I think I can take care of her now."

Ron nodded and left.

Ginny grimly turned back to her charge, who was now worrying that Ron left because he though the dress was ugly.

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Tonks was twirling about the kitchen in the light blue dress she had purchased for the wedding. It was a mid-calf length, light blue, strapless dress with a white underskirt that barely peeked out at the bottom and the top. For the occasion, she had matching shoes, earrings, and hair. She was experimenting with different hairstyles when Remus came into the kitchen.

"I'm not entirely certain that a mohawk would be well-received at the wedding, dear," he said, eyeing her hair critically.

Tonks smiled brightly. "You look very nice, too."

Rolling his eyes, Remus replied dryly, "You look great."

"I know," she said with a wink as she spun around once more and rested her hand on her belly, which was now very large with pregnancy. She was almost six months along.

Smiling at his wife, and advising her to give up the mullet too, Remus told her that he was going to Hermione's flat, which was serving as wedding headquarters, to supervise the day ahead. The task had been originally entrusted to Fred and George, but Hermione had found out and seemed to think it was a bad idea. (She had never _really_ trusted them after they spiked all the drinks in her house with vodka at the party she had held for Ron's twentieth birthday. Though he was quite a funny drunk.) Remus had then nobly volunteered to take the responsibility. No one realized that he had been intending to wrest it from the twins anyway. He wanted the wedding to go well.

Remus entered Hermione's flat completely unprepared to face the spectacle that waited. Two of Hermione's friends were complaining about their bridesmaid dresses in rather shrill howls. Eleanor, Bill and Fleur's six-year-old daughter, was nervously tossing flowers about as the wedding planner's assistant tested her, and Percy's four year old son Henry was crying because he lost the rings.

Shaking his head, Remus approached Fred and George who were laughing uproariously. They immediately stopped when they saw him coming and attempted to quickly make their way out. Catching them, Remus held out his hand, and they sheepishly gave him the rings they had hidden from Henry.

He walked over to Eleanor and told her she was doing a wonderful job, and he told off Wendell, the assistant, for making her uneasy. She gave him a wide, endearing smile, and he gave her chocolate. The girl could charm anyone.

Remus ignored the wailing bridesmaids because he had no patience for complaints about ribbons and frills.

Grabbing Fred and George, he dragged them up to Hermione's room, thinking they might be able to calm the bride who, he was sure, would be sitting amidst fiery ruins by now.

When he entered the room, however, he was shocked to find it intact and Hermione fixing her hair calmly. She gave him a serene smile and went back to adjusting one of her diamond clips. Looking around the room, frankly bewildered, Remus saw a tired-looking Ginny watching Hermione warily.

"Did you…" he asked her quietly, not finishing the question.

"Did I what?" she asked, playing dumb.

He eyed her suspiciously. "Did you give her a calming draught?"

Ginny looked at him and raised her head primly. "You think I would give a bride a calming draught on her wedding day?" she inquired with a maddening air of superiority.

"You gave Percy a sleeping potion the day of his wedding," he pointed out.

"You have absolutely no business remembering such things," she said, walking out the door.

Remus instructed Fred and George to stay with her and call him when the effects of the potion began to wear off.

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Ron stood at the altar nervously. Thoughts kept running through his head about what would happen if Hermione didn't show up. Matters were not helped when the twins started telling him that Hermione accepted his proposal because she felt sorry for him and had run off with one of the strippers from her bachelorette party.

They had since stopped at a glare from Remus, but Ron was feeling no better. Tonks, noticing his pallid expression had given him an encouraging smile but it made no difference. The twins had already done the damage. Everyone made a mental note to quarantine them during important events in the future.

Looking at the sea of people that had come to attend his wedding, Ron felt a jolt in his stomach. Boy, it would be really humiliating when she didn't show up.

Ron's thoughts were rudely interrupted by the music starting and the sudden hush as the bridesmaids appeared at the beginning of the aisle. He blanched.

The first one to walk down the aisle was the daughter of an old family friend of the Grangers' whom Hermione had known all her life. She hadn't been able to abide her when they were younger, but they grew to like each other more after Hermione got out of Hogwarts, which Katherine didn't know about. Katherine approved of Ron, and smiled at him as she walked. He took this to mean that Hermione had left in a very nice, sweet way.

She was blonde and the dress looked very nice on her. It was a pale blue, spaghetti-strapped dress with a very flattering empire waist. It made her look rather taller than she was, which was very becoming. It had a sweetheart neckline and had a small diamond design in the middle of the chest.

Luna Lovegood came next. She and Hermione had maintained contact after Hermione graduated, and they became very good friends. She also looked very pretty, and her light blonde hair was arranged exactly as Katherine's had been and as the other bridesmaids would prove to be. It was fanned out on her head in a very elegant up-do. The knot in Ron's stomach loosened slightly when he chuckled at Luna's rabbit foot earrings, which she had insisted would bring good luck to the couple.

Percy's wife Emma came next. She was a rather plain-looking brunette, but the dress made her eyes stand out, and they were quite nice. She was a very pleasant woman who worked at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Games and Sports and was an absolute Quidditch fanatic. When you looked at her you though her quite dull and silly, so it was quite a shock when she transformed into an animated companion with quite a colorful vocabulary.

Fleur was the last bridesmaid and looked as beautiful as ever, though there was a definite sadness in her eyes that hadn't left since Bill died. She carried herself gracefully down the aisle and gave her old, wonderful smile to Ron. Though he was pleased she had smiled, as she usually only gave true smiles to Eleanor, he was not affected the way he had been in the past, which he though was a good sign. He was always affected that way when Hermione smiled at him.

Ginny came next in the same dress, though hers was green to differentiate her from the bridesmaids. It flattered her hair, and she couldn't stop smiling as she walked down the aisle, which made her all the more beautiful. There was one person sitting in the back who couldn't take his eyes off her.

Henry came next, and he was clearly doing his best to remain dignified as he marched down the aisle. He had his nose in the air and acknowledged no one as he walked, which Fred and George thought was much too similar to Percy to be good. Mysteriously, Henry was tripped by two well-aimed hexes.

Little Eleanor came next. She had inherited all the grace of her mother, and many of her facial features as well. Her red hair came from her father, and no one was quite certain where she had gotten the curls. All the same, they were adorable. She smiled endearingly at everyone as she walked, and artfully bounced her locks with a toss of her head. The resemblance to Fleur was striking.

Ron's stomach gave a strange lurch as the music changed and everyone stood up. Just as Ron had convinced himself that Hermione had gone, a vision in a white wedding dress appeared.

Hermione looked absolutely radiant. Her hair had been pulled up into an elegant bun that some of her hair had been curled around. A small wisp had escaped the restraints of the diamond clip that held her hair back and framed her face becomingly. Her dress was strapless and had a close-fitting satin top that was covered in diamond designs and let out into a full skirt that swished with every move she made. She gave Ron a dazzling smile and began to walk down the aisle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The service was over and people were milling about in Mr. and Mrs. Granger's yard. Many were congratulating the new Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, some were dancing, some were eating, and some were trying to convince Fred and George to stop feeding Henry Canary Creams.

Ginny was sitting at a table with the bridesmaids and wasn't listening as they talked. She was watching her brother and his wife, both of whom looked deliriously happy and kept referring to each other as "Mrs. Ron" and "Mr. Hermione." She shook her head as she saw her nephew turn into a giant bird.

Her eyes paused on a pair that were very familiar. Her breath quickened and her face whitened. Her hands closed around the edge of the table and she could feel herself becoming faint as she stared into a pair of emerald eyes.


	9. Another Point of View

**Note:** Well, this has been a bit long in coming. I'm so sorry about the delay, but I had no idea that this year would be so crazy. I'll try to update faster in the future, and my high school volleyball season is ending soon, so I should be able to do that. I hope.

**Kates Master**: Hope you haven't killed yourself yet, or sank into depression. I need you to review this one! I play volleyball at my high school, and we have practice every day for two and a half hours. This is our last week, though, so that shouldn't be a problem anymore. I am going to do Junior Olympic volleyball this Winter, though, so please don't rend me limb for limb, even if you hate this chapter, for I would then have very little playing time. I hope you enjoy it!

**HarryGinnyfan23**: I'm glad you liked it! This chapter is the wedding from Harry's point of view, so you actually won't get to see many reactions. Next chapter, I promise! …If you review!

**ChaosRanger**: I want you to read this one, please don't implode! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

**stuf**: Your review made me so happy. Thank you so much, and I hope you like this chapter.

**Kd7sov**: I tried to be a bit more descriptive in that chapter, which I'm not very good at, so your review made me incredibly happy. The whole thing made me feel so good, and I couldn't stop smiling. Thanks so much!

**flinton**: I don't think I even like the Ginny/Richard thing. I'm very tempted to have him run over by the Knight Bus. I don't know why I ever thought that was a good idea. O well. Thanks so much for your review! I hope you like this chapter.

**Wolf's scream**: Having no wedding experience myself, I pulled Ron's feelings from my brother at his wedding. On the video, his knee-trembling is visible. His groomsmen weren't nearly as mean as Fred and George, but he was still pretty shaken. Plus, I've always seen Ron as kind of insecure coughyuleballcough so I thought I'd go that way. Thank you so much for all your reviewing, you have been such a help.

**pink gecko**: Not like chocolate? HA! I will do anything for chocolate. In fact, your virtual chocolate got this chapter out. Well, it got me working on it again, it did take a while for it to come out. Actually, one of my sisters doesn't like chocolate. But she's always been odd. You get the answer to your questions in this chapter, so read (and review!).

Thanks also to **stressygirl**, **Chaos023**, **BexyLou**, **Arianna of Bellezza**, **oiche ghealai**, **Graham Mallalieu**, **Vampirehelsing**, **ProphecyProtector**, **fuzzylumpkins82,** **AlexisHaliwell89**, **Outsider08**, **5CANDALOUS**, **Hpobsession87**, **XxAnimeLoverxX**, **iheartyoo**, **Hazel Maraa**, **popping corn**, **hplver**, and **DawnRising** for your wonderful reviews. If it wasn't for your encouragement, I don't know if I would've ever gotten this chapter out!

**Note** (yes, again): This chapter is basically the wedding from Harry's point of view, just to make sure no one's confused.

**Disclaimer**: I think if you read this you should be able to tell that there is no way I could have created any part of the Harry Potter Universe.

And now, Chapter 9 (finally)… 

Harry nervously appraised his reflection. His eyes lingered on the brown suit he was wearing. He had bought it the previous day, as Remus's letter had included a note that had said that Muggle dress would be expected at the wedding because many of the Granger family friends would be in attendance, and they were completely unaware of Hermione's special powers.

The clock read 9:17, and Harry tried futilely to make his hair lie flat. Becoming impatient when it wouldn't obey, he angrily jabbed at it with his wand. After magically extinguishing the flames, he shook his head and sighed, realizing that it would behave no more for this occasion than it had for any other.

Taking one last critical look at himself, he turned and retreated out of his door, prepared to rejoin the world he hadn't occupied for many long years.

Checking the address again, Harry looked up at the house before him, 11 Basing Street. He looked at the house next to it, 13 Basing Street. His eyes widened. He lost the house. This was not good. Hearing the vague sounds of chatter and laughter behind him, he turned. A nice house stood before him, not overly large but by no means small. Made of red brick, the windows glinted happily at him, and a chimney proudly stood, cheerfully smoking. 12 Basing Street.

Harry checked his watch. 9:53. Thinking about this, he supposed that this was a good thing. No one could look too closely at him with only seven minutes left until show time. He chuckled softly as he thought that no matter how well Hermione had planned it, all would be chaos with less than ten minutes to go.

Standing in front of the door, arm raised to knock, Harry froze. What if Ron or Hermione answered? Reasoning that there was no way the bride or groom would answer the door, he took a breath and prepared to knock again. He froze once more. There were so many other people that could answer the door. Fred. George. He closed his eyes as he thought of _her_. If any of them answered the door, he didn't know what he would do. He was still contemplating his course of action when the door swung open.

"Oh, my, I am so sorry," Fleur exclaimed, her accent still apparent. "I didn't know zere was anyone out 'ere." She gave him a small smile and said, "well, come and take your seat, it will be starting soon." Her blue eyes misted up a bit. "Zey are so 'appy. Zey will 'ave a good life. Bill would 'ave been so 'appy."

Head bowed, Harry glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He shifted uneasily. The movement startled Fleur out of her wistful reverie.

"I apologize. Zis is silly. Come, enter," she commanded, regaining the imperiousness Harry knew well. He shook his head mutely, hoping that Fleur would turn and forget about him. With his luck, he should have known better.

"Are you with ze bride or ze groom?" she asked, her interest in this mysterious stranger apparent.

"Er," Harry began. Fleur's head turned sharply to look at him. Lowering his voice a bit, he managed to grunt, "the bride." He figured there was less of a chance of anybody recognizing him if he sat with a bunch of Muggles. Fleur's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She knew that voice.

"'Ave I met you before?" she inquired challengingly. Harry shrugged his shoulders, and then realized that refusing to speak was probably not the way to lessen her interest.

"No, I don't think so," he said quickly, lowering his voice still further. Fleur didn't look convinced. He chanced a glance upward to see if she would be content with that for a while. Her eyes met his and widened. She let out a small gasp.

"Are you certain? You look vairy much like someone I knew once." He could feel her eyes studying the top of his head.

Rubbing his neck nervously, he responded, "I would have remembered you, I'm sure."

Satisfied with flattery as she never would have been otherwise, Fleur nodded approvingly and led him to the bride's section.

He took a seat in the back and rested his head in his hands. This was going to be a long day.

Rubbing his temples, he checked his watch. 10:00. Music started playing, and Harry looked up. Inhale, exhale. He tried to convince himself he was ready for this.

Looking towards the altar, Harry felt his stomach jolt. Walking towards it, slowly but surely, was his best friend, Ron Weasley. He was taller than he was when Harry left, which was a bit unfair. Harry hadn't grown at all. Ron's hair was a great deal neater than it had been before, but Harry thought that was probably Molly's doing. He still had an air of mischievousness about him, though that was somewhat diminished by his ghost-white face. The twins entered behind him, sporting identical evil grins. Harry smiled.

Percy entered a bit behind them, looking gallingly bored with the proceedings. His maddening expression was wiped off his face when his glasses mysteriously floated upwards and started hitting him upon the head. He shot a venomous glare at Fred and George, which only seemed to amuse them further. Spluttering angrily, he grabbed his glasses and made several valiant, though vain, attempts to force them to stay on his face. Suddenly they rapped Fred and George in the face and settled back comfortably on Percy's face. Remus gave a satisfied smile and walked back to his seat.

Two men Harry didn't know joined the group at the altar, and one stared suspiciously at Percy's glasses. Fred and George exchanged glances that clearly said, 'oops, a Muggle.' Harry shook his head.

The music changed and he spotted a pretty blonde walking down the aisle. The blue dress she was wearing was very flattering, and she looked very cheerful. Most of her smiles went to people on Hermione's side, and her hair, while pretty, was clearly not tamed by magic, so Harry assumed she was some Muggle friend of Hermione's.

Harry did a double take when the next woman started to walk down the aisle. He caught sight of her earrings and laughed out loud. He quieted after receiving an irritated glance from the woman next to him, but the amusement on his face didn't fade. Luna Lovegood. He would never have guessed Luna to be a member of Hermione's bridal party, as they had never got on particularly well. The laughter in his eyes faded as he realized that their relationship must have blossomed after he left. Another thing he had missed. He shook his head and turned his attention to the next woman.

The plain brunette walking down the aisle looked vaguely familiar. Harry frowned slightly, knowing that he knew her but not knowing from where. She raised an eyebrow at someone seated and it came to him: she had been in the Order. He had been very busy and had never had time to really meet her, so he excused himself for not recalling her name. But he felt like there was somewhere else he knew her from.

He dismissed these thoughts when he caught sight of Fleur gracefully making her way down the aisle. She looked beautiful in the blue dress that made her hair more blonde and her eyes bluer. She was still dizzyingly attractive, but she didn't seem nearly as happy as she had once been. He remembered her wedding, and his eyes burned slightly as he remembered Bill's death. Resolving to think about something else, he turned to see the maid-of-honor coming down the aisle.

He barely noticed his heart drop out of his chest. Ginny looked absolutely radiant in a green dress that accentuated all her assets. She was even more beautiful than he recalled. His heart burned as he remembered the pain he had gone through before he had been able to leave. The pain that had been caused mostly by the torture he faced by leaving her, his one time fiancée. Harry was only able to tear his eyes away from her when everyone rose to honor the bride as she walked down the aisle.

Once again, Harry looked on in sadness. Upon Hermione's first appearance, he felt a jolt in his stomach that he was becoming accustomed to. It was the jolt that came with the realization that he had missed so much. Hermione had grown into a beautiful woman. Her teeth were perfectly straight, her hair seemed to have finally been tamed, and there was a joy in her eyes that rendered everyone else dull in comparison.

Harry watched her walk to the altar, where is attention waned in favor of a certain redhead. All through the service he never looked away from her, though she was standing close enough to the bride that it looked like he was watching the service.

He marveled at her hair, which seemed to shine, and her brown eyes, full of laughter, enchanted him. She exuded an air of happiness and confidence, just as she always had. Harry missed the feelings she provoked in him.

The ceremony was short and simple, mainly because having a long one would have bored Fred and George, and no one wanted to do that. As it was, they had gotten sufficiently bored that they took great enjoyment in making faces at a scandalized Henry.

When the bride had been kissed, and the couple blessed, the congregation began to rise. Many went to congratulate members of the wedding party, and many others were chatting with their friends. Harry sat for a minute and scanned the crowd for faces he recognized. He smiled when he spotted many of his old friends from school and the Order milling about, talking and laughing. One of the groomsmen that Harry hadn't recognized turned and chuckled, and he recognized the face of Dean Thomas.

Deep in thought, Harry stood and turned to leave. He was halfway across the yard when a hand rested on his shoulder and stopped him. He wheeled around to find the smiling face of Remus Lupin watching him.

"A wonderful ceremony, wasn't it?" Remus asked genially.

Harry watched him warily, as though he thought Remus might suddenly begin to run around the yard screaming, "Harry Potter's here!"

Noticing Harry's discomfort, Remus gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you came, Harry," he said quietly.

Harry met Remus's eyes and nodded.

Remus gave him another smile, squeezed his shoulder, and went to speak with some other people.

Harry found himself unable to continue out the door. Instead, he stood in a corner of the yard and observed all the people milling about. He felt a pang of jealousy looking at the people speaking to the newly married couple, offering their congratulations or just talking. _I'm their best friend_, he thought, feeling a rush of anger, _I should be talking to them!_

But as quickly as it had come, the anger faded away. For Harry found himself staring across the yard into the beautiful brown eyes of a red-haired girl in a green dress.

**Note:** Please review! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, though I can't make any promises. Also, note the power of virtual chocolate…


	10. A Reaction

**Author's Note: **I'm back! It wasn't quite as long as last time, was it? The next chapter will be up by December 17…If I get over 100 reviews. (Total reviews, not just for this chapter. So that's six more.) More reviews than requested may result in the chapter coming up next weekend. So…Please review! I hope you like it.

Thanks so much to **DawnRising, Schatje, Graham Mallalieu, Win, Tomanak, BexyLou, shadow00, Phyre's child13, Hpobsession87, Dancer girl923, Vampirehelsing, Wolf's scream, ProphecyProtector, **and **Vampireatheart** for your reviews!

**Kd7sov:** Thanks for your review. Yes, Fleur should have been a little quicker to recognize Harry…_giggles_. I hope you like this chapter!

**pink gecko:** _Takes virtual chocolate_. Thanks! I love your reviews, so read (and enjoy) this chapter, and please review! I'll give you some of my virtual chocolate…Actually, I'll just be really grateful, because I _really_ want my chocolate.

**carole:** Your review was so wonderful. Your welcome! though you're the one who should be being thanked: if it weren't for people who review I would never have continued writing. Thank you so much!

**BJH: **You have no idea how much I loved your review. More chocolate like that, and I'll have chapter 10 up next week. I solemnly swear! I loved the options, thanks a bunch!

**Tasha The Fox:** They'll talk…soon. Eventually. At some point. Thanks for your review!

**Dragonero:** Thank you for reviewing! Yes, it's post-HBP. To a point. I planned it out before HBP was released, so I blame any inconsistencies on that, but the larger stuff remains true. Like Dumbledore, however sad that makes me. And Sirius is (unfortunately) dead here, too. McGonagall lives! And I might have her in here later, I'm not sure yet. Snape is dead. And yes, that may be important.

**Kates Master:** It hasn't been a terribly long time, so may I please keep my limbs? Although I am interested in meeting your rabid cockerel. He sounds like fun. :-D Don't worry about it; the twins will have done several stupid things by the time I'm through with them. And there is some "Harry Potter!" shouting here…Kind of. Read and enjoy!

**K McNeely:** Thank you very much for the chocolate. It was delicious. A couple more bars will get an update next weekend (hint, hint). It won't get too sad. I hope. Sad things depress me, so I probably won't go there too much. I much prefer happiness! And chocolate.

**Note: **FFNet has this new feature where I can push this wonky little button when I'm viewing my reviews and I can reply. I'm not quite certain how that works. Would you guys prefer me to do that, or keep replying in the chapters? And if I do continue doing it in the chapters, would you like me to put the responses before the chapter or after it? Just wondering.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Ask my bank.

**Here's the chapter…**

Ginny fainted.

Harry felt his stomach lurch. His heart was pounding uncomfortably quickly, and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. Alarm was clearly displayed in his bright green eyes, which were open wide and staring at the spot where Ginny was lying, pale and unmoving. He took several quick steps towards her.

"Ginny!" someone cried.

Slowly, many people in the crowd took up the call. They all rushed towards the lifeless figure, expressions of anxiety and distress planted firmly on their features.

Countless worried figures crouched around Ginny's still form, murmuring comforting words and agitatedly attempting to revive her, or at least make her more comfortable.

Finally, Tonks, after much shouting and indignant shoving, took control of the situation. She knelt down by Ginny and began bellowing orders to those around her. Red-haired figures were the only ones allowed to stand close by, and Tonks commanded everyone else to give Ginny some space. Then Harry froze.

A tall, brown-haired man Harry didn't recognize took Ginny's hand, which Tonks had no objection to. His face was creased in worry, and he was speaking to Ginny's unconscious form. He looked pensive for a moment, and then gave hurried instructions to Tonks, who nodded and bustled away. The man glanced shiftily around as if checking whether anyone could see him. The Weasleys were, apparently, providing adequate cover, for the man stealthily pulled out what may have been a stick, but what Harry recognized as a wand. Ginny's figure rose into the air after the man muttered a few words under his breath, and he stuck his arms out so it appeared he was carrying her.

"Lazy sod," Harry muttered, and he turned to leave, his stomach feeling unsettled and a voice he hadn't heard for years telling him to jinx the brown-haired man several times.

/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/

Ron paced up and down the hallway, wiping his hands on his trousers as they became sweaty. The twins were leaning against the wall, watching in amusement, but occasionally looking at the door in concern. Remus sat in a chair just outside the door, as he was sometimes called on by Tonks to help.

Richard was looking after Ginny, who had been placed on the bed in Hermione's old bedroom. He had recruited Hermione, who was still in her wedding dress, though her hair had become a bit untidy, and Tonks to help him take care of his fiancée. The faraway sounds of the music penetrated the walls as the party went on outside.

"Remus!" Tonks called from inside the bedroom. Remus thought that under different circumstances, that could lead to a very fun night. Shaking his head to get rid of such very un-Remus-like thoughts, he stood and made his way to his wife.

"Yes, dear?" he asked. She glared at him, warning him with her eyes (now red) to not speak so loudly. Remus decided not to point out that it was she who had just yelled to him.

"Leave the door open," she instructed through clenched teeth, as if she thought that would make her voice softer.

Remus was confused.

"It is open," he said.

"Leave it _wide_ open," she replied, rolling her eyes as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's better for air circulation."

Remus nodded, feeling it was a wiser course of action to not dispute his wife's definition of "wide open". Though, it looked wide open to him. Spotting Tonks' face, he confirmed that saying that would be incredibly dense of him.

He walked to the door and pushed it as far as it would go. It opened about four centimeters more than it had been. He could only assume that was what Tonks would deem "wide open". This was affirmed when she took a deep breath and said, "Ah, yes. Much better."

Remus stared. Pregnant women were _weird_.

He sat back in his chair and sighed. Fred and George exchanged a bewildered look and looked at the door. It looked as though they were trying to ascertain precisely what "wide open" was, and Remus made a mental note to ask them their conclusion later.

Ron was on another pacing cycle and passed the twins, who were still contemplating the mystery that was the varying degrees of door openness. The hall was smaller than they all would have liked, and Ron tripped over their feet. He tumbled into the wall, and the twins jumped up and held their injured feet close to them, expressions of pain etched firmly on all their faces.

Tonks stuck her head out of the door and glared at them all, which was rather frightening as she was now sporting a green mullet.

The three of them quickly recovered, and Ron resumed his pacing. He was nearing Remus when the latter decided it would be a good idea to move his chair inside the room.

The twins watched in mild interest.

"That must be it," Fred said. "It's wide open if you can get a chair through it." They both nodded, as if that was all the information they'd ever need. Remus thought they were quite mad and applauded his decision to move to the bedroom.

He had been sitting there for several minutes, tiredly watching Richard attempt to nurse Ginny back to health when her eyes opened.

Her eyes widened, and she frantically tried to sit up, crying incoherently. Her brothers, attracted by her wails, rushed into the room. Tonks and Hermione desperately tried to calm the girl, and Richard awkwardly tapped her back. Remus leaned forward in his chair.

Soon, Ginny began repeating one word. "Harry," she said wretchedly. "Harry."

The twins exchanged a look and then stared at the floor. Ron stared with his mouth open. Tonks' hair began changing colors at an alarmingly fast rate. Hermione's face paled, and she looked like a ghost. Richard looked confused. Remus leaned back in his chair and visibly shrank into it.

_Oh dear_, he thought.

/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/

Harry didn't think, just let his feet lead him to a place where he could leave. Harry didn't want to think. He didn't want to be here, and he didn't want to stay. All he wanted was to continue living as he had before, lonely and dull as his existence had been. It was much, much better that way.

So, for the second time in his life, Harry Potter ran away.

/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/h/p/

Narrowed blue eyes followed Harry's progress across the yard.

She watched him walking quickly away and began to follow at a safe distance. When Harry stopped at the corner a couple roads down and leaned against the hard brick wall, she threw caution into the wind and decided to go to him.

He didn't notice her approach as his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. Harry calmed down and opened his eyes, only to jump several feet into the air.

Blue eyes flashing, silvery-blonde hair blowing, Fleur Delacour raised one eyebrow and looked at him imperiously. They just looked at each other for a moment, before Fleur spoke.

"'Ello, 'Arry," she said.


	11. Questions

**Author's Note:** Having received far more reviews than I required to post the next chapter, I decided to put it up now. Don't go thinking that updates this frequent will become a common occurrence; school this week has been exceptionally slow. Though the reviews do help the inspiration flow ;-)

Thanks to: **avalon64, starfan1, markg, xyvortex, Tomanak, Vampirehelsing, Kyra2117, Kates Master, PennyP, druccillamalfoyrox, GoSnOgGaTrEe, Jessie, Jessica, BUBBLE, shadow00, Bob33,** and **Taeniaea **for your reviews!

**huge euge:** Thank you so much for your review! That was the biggest compliment I have ever received. I nearly fainted. Seriously, thank you so much!

This chapter is dedicated to **huge euge**, because you rock!

**Disclaimer:** In case you missed it the last ten times, I don't own anything.

Harry stared into the icy blue eyes of a girl he barely recognized. It had been so long since he had seen her, and she had been so transformed by her grief, that it was inconceivable to him that this was the same haughty, intimidating, and vital girl that he had known years ago. It seemed equally inconceivable that she could remember him, though the knowing smirk that played at her mouth suggested otherwise.

He stood there, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, for what seemed like an eternity. What was he to do? Years of living in solitude had done nothing to improve his people skills, and he wasn't quite ready to begin fielding uncomfortable questions about his disappearance. Even if he was (though he was quite certain he never would be), Fleur Delacour wasn't exactly at the top of his list of people he could talk easily with. He wasn't positive she was on that list at all.

Fleur didn't seem to mind the silence. Rather, it appeared to amuse her, if the laughter lighting up her eyes was any indication. Harry couldn't imagine why she would find this funny; he himself had never found anything less amusing.

Looking Fleur straight in the eye, he said, "Hello."

She smiled a bit when he finally acknowledged her. It almost immediately disappeared, however, and was replaced by a searching look as she surveyed him. Harry found this extremely disconcerting. Fleur looked to be inspecting him, rather like someone would look over a horse before they bought it. He winced as he saw her eyes sweep over his forehead, widening a bit as they settled on the spot where a lightning bolt scar had stood brazenly just a few years before. It was still there, of course, but was considerably more fain than it had been.

Looking at him sharply, she frowned slightly. "Why are you 'here?" she inquired.

Harry felt heat rising to his face. Why was he there? What had made him think that he could just return to a world he hadn't known for seven years?

Sensing Harry's obvious discomfort, Fleur decided to intervene.

"'Arry, I am zinking zat zis may be a long talk. Let us go to ze house, so we can talk better."

Not really comprehending what going to "ze house" would entail, Harry wordlessly nodded and began to follow her.

Thoughts chased each other around his head as they walked. He was searching for answers to questions he had no answer to. He was hunting for a way to hide the truth that had started it all. Though he was unsure about many things, he was certain that he would never reveal what happened that night. He couldn't. The pain he would endure at their reactions—the pain they would suffer to hear it. Harry refused to cause them any more anguish than they had already borne. Somewhere in the back of his mind, though, he knew that he wouldn't tell them because he couldn't bear to acknowledge it—to make it real.

His thoughts were interrupted when he found himself standing in front of the Grangers' house, Fleur waiting for him expectantly. Harry shook himself out of his reverie.

"No," he protested, face white. "I can't go in there," he explained to Fleur. He could feel his face heat up. "_Everyone_ is in there. People might—"

"No one will," Fleur assured him. He looked at her, his incredulity apparent. "I promise," she added confidently. Harry didn't look comforted.

Fleur rolled her eyes. "Come _on_, 'Arry." With that, she grabbed his arm and dragged him inside.

Wearily, he followed, putting up no resistance as she frog-marched him through the side door.

They were walking (or being lead) through an upstairs hallway when a bundle of red hair ambushed them. The bundle bounced excitedly as it followed them.

"Oh, darling!" Fleur cried as she swooped down and enveloped the bundle in a hug. Harry nervously tried to hide his head.

Fleur laughed when she noticed this. "No need to worry, 'Arry, zis is only my daughter. Eleanor."

Harry blinked. A daughter? Fleur had a _daughter_? He vaguely remembered secret smiles that Fleur and Bill had shared seven years earlier. He recalled the way Bill's hand would occasionally slip to Fleur's stomach when he held her. Harry felt his stomach drop to the floor. He had missed this. Of course. Things like that really shouldn't have surprised him anymore.

Fleur suddenly adopted a stern expression.

"Ella, what are you doing here?"

"They sent me up, mama. To tell you Aunt Ginny woke up." Fleur chanced a look at Harry when her daughter said this. He looked immensely guilty.

"Very well, _chéri_. Merci." Fleur kissed Ella on the cheek.

"Mama," Ella said, giving Harry a sidelong glance. "They want you to come."

"Want me to come? Why?"

"Aunt Ginny…When she woke up, she—well, I'm not really sure," Ella replied, frowning and looking searchingly at Harry. "But it was because of him," she accused, a small finger pointing at Harry.

"_Non, chéri, non!_ Do not point!" Fleur admonished her. "Tell me exactly."

"When Aunt Ginny woke up, she was crying," Ella informed her. "And shouting _his_ name."

Fleur raised an eyebrow. "We must talk about more than I thought," she told Harry. Turning back to her daughter, she said, "Tell them I will be there soon. And don't," she added as the girl turned to leave, "mention my guest," she continued, indicating Harry.

The girl nodded and shot Harry a small smile before bouncing down the stairs.

Harry looked at Fleur disbelievingly. "You…You just—Won't she—I mean," Harry spluttered.

Fleur looked amusedly at Harry. "My daughter is discreet," she said. Not quite sure why he was listening to her, Harry followed her into the room that she was gesturing towards.

Ella was not a normal six year old. Her father had died before she was born. She spoke English very well, and was sufficiently fluent in French. When she turned eleven, she would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ella was also very smart. Hearing her aunt shout the name Harry and meeting a man by the same name a short while later was enough for her to deduce that she had found the man her aunt was so heartbreakingly crying for. It also didn't take much brainpower to connect that man with a man she had heard about her whole life, a man who (by no coincidence at all, she suspected) was also called Harry.

Yes, Ella was a very smart girl. She was also, as her mother claimed, discreet. And being her mother's child, she knew very well how to turn a situation to her advantage.

After telling the group gathered in the room with her grief-stricken aunt that her mother had some business to attend to and would be along shortly, Ella made her way back to the stairs. There was minimal bouncing involved this time. In fact, if anyone had passed the stairs, they would have noticed nothing amiss, so stealthily she was creeping.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she carefully made her way through the hallway, trying to figure out which room her mother had taken the strange man to. Finding one that had murmuring voices behind it, she sat down. Comfortably settled, Ella prepared to find out what exactly the big deal was about Harry Potter.

"'O else knows?" Fleur asked Harry just as he finished settling himself in an old, red armchair that wasn't, in fact, very comfortable. He looked up, appearing very confused.

"Knows?" he echoed. He hadn't told anyone. No one else knew what happened. Unless—

"Knows that you are 'ere," she clarified. Oh.

Harry looked pensive for a moment. Would Remus mind if he told? He was certain Fleur would know if he lied, and he didn't care to test her patience. At a loss for what to say, he merely sat, staring blankly at her.

Fleur narrowed her eyes. "I am waiting," she said imperiously.

Harry was reminded forcibly of why he had never been over-fond of Fleur.

"Do not forget that I 'ave a six year old child running about 'o knows you are 'ere," she said, unnoticeably glancing at the door. Harry looked a bit sullen.

"'Arry," she said, "you will 'ave to tell sometime." Harry was forced to admit that she had a point. After all, she had him trapped in a room, wandless. Additionally, she had a daughter who knew he was there wandering around. He suspected there was some sort of secret Veela power that allowed her to telepathically communicate with her child, too. He didn't really think that. But he wouldn't put it past her to learn how to communicate telepathically, just to spite him.

"Remus," he said finally. She beamed at him.

"And 'ow did 'e find you?" she prompted.

"Well—wait a minute, how did you know that someone knew I was here?" he demanded.

She rolled her eyes pityingly. "'Ow else would you 'ave known about ze wedding?" she asked. Oh.

"I…I did magic," he said grudgingly. Fleur raised an eyebrow.

"You 'ave been 'iding goodness-knows-where for seven years, and you decide suddenly one day to do magic?" she inquired, looking at him suspiciously.

"What?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable. It wasn't as though it was horrible to do magic. He was willing to bet she did it all the time.

"Nozzing," she said. "It's just zat you 'ave been acting like you did not want to be found."

"I didn't want to be found!" Harry protested.

"Zen why did you do ze one zing zat could connect you to your old life?" she asked loftily. Bloody psychiatrist.

Harry was now very angry, though not necessarily at Fleur. How could he have been so stupid? He now knew that he had made a series of very bad choices in recent periods of time. Harry had a headche.

**Author's Note:** The next chapter will be up December 17.

**Coming soon:** Unhappy, uncomfortable, but ultimately fluffy reunions. (I hope you liked this chapter, **Kates Master**.


	12. Information

**Author's Note: **The longest chapter yet, enjoy!

Thanks to **GoSnOgGaTrEe, 123315, msjasonhook, Taeniaea, Vampirehelsing, driccillamalfoyrox, Tomanak, Wolven Spirits, Kates Master, Wolf's scream, **and **BexyLou** for your reviews!

**Disclaimer:** The only way anyone could ever mistake me for Ms. Rowling is if she was in a very serious accident and sustained extreme brain damage. As I do not believe that is the case (it had better not be—I want to read the seventh book!), it can be safely assumed that I am not, in fact, J. K. Rowling. No matter how much I wish I were.

x x x x x

Ella pouted. She had been curled up on the hard, uncomfortable floor for more than half an hour and had not learned anything at all about Harry Potter, who seemed to be very good at evading questions. All she had learned was that Remus had known that Potter was at the wedding. Whoop-de-do. Information like that was absolutely worthless unless she wanted to blackmail Remus, which would probably be a bad idea since he was the Minister of Magic. Besides, she had been instructed to say nothing about Potter's presence and though she was devious, she was not disobedient. Most of the time.

She highly doubted that anything of great importance would be revealed, so she stood up and began to dust off her dress. Trying to see if the back of her dress was clean, she barely heard the footsteps from inside the room nearing the door. Her eyes widened and she looked around frantically for some place to hide, sure that her mother would not like that she had been listening. Unfortunately, the Grangers had a very open hallway, offering no convenient place to conceal herself. Bloody dentists. She supposed that the real reason that Hermione was so good was not that it was her natural disposition, but that she never had the opportunity to make mischief as a child. Poor deprived Hermione.

Forcing her mind back on to more pressing matters, she saw the door handle turn and gulped. This was it. She braced herself for her mother's reaction.

Fleur stepped out and did not seem the least bit surprised that her daughter was standing there, looking rather like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Far from being angry, though, Fleur gave Ella a small nod of approval. Ella's behavior reminded her so much of something Bill would have done that she couldn't be properly angry. Ella looked relieved, and she gave her mother a winning grin.

Turning around to look back into the room which Harry was still standing in, she said, "'Arry, did you bring your wand?"

Seeing him shake his head, Fleur smiled and got a wicked glint in her eyes. She closed the door, and Harry heard a small click that indicated it had been locked. Harry cursed.

Fleur smiled primly. "Do not bother to try to disapparate, 'Arry! I 'ave put a spell on ze room, so it is like your 'Ogwarts. You cannot disapparate." Fleur looked immensely pleased with herself. "I will be seeing you soon, I expect." She gave a throaty laugh and turned towards her daughter, who looked delighted at her mother's actions.

"Ella, stay 'ere. If 'e somehow gets out—'e will not, my magic is too strong—stop 'im any way you can, and zen come get me. All right, _chéri_?"

"Yes, mama," Ella replied obediently. Fleur smiled at her daughter and went down the stairs.

Ella sighed. Once again, she was sitting on the hard, uncomfortable floor of the Grangers' upstairs hallway. This time, though, her mother wasn't here. Ella smiled to herself, thinking that it might not be so bad as last time. After all, she might just get to have her own conversation with Harry Potter.

x x x x x

Dancing and laughing, people flitted about the Grangers' back yard, still celebrating Ron and Hermione's wedding. Remus looked on warily. When Ginny woke up, hysterical, Tonks had decided it would be best if people left the room. She had recruited Emma, Percy's wife, and had told everyone else, in no uncertain terms, to leave. Remus hadn't questioned the wisdom of this at the time, but now, watching Fred and George exchange mischievous glances, thought that letting them loose was just asking for it.

Sincerely hoping that the reception wouldn't turn out as memorable as Percy and Emma's (many people had ended up as canaries), Remus turned to find a seat. He nearly ran down Fleur. Far from looking upset about it, though (which, upon later reflection, Remus thought should have tipped him off), she merely smiled.

"I am very sorry, Remus," she began. "Excuse me, I should 'ave been watching where I was going." Later, Remus would sternly berate himself for not realizing something was going on. Where Fleur was concerned, she was _never_ at fault. At the time, Remus didn't have time to think about the implications of Fleur's behavior, as she firmly steered him towards a chair and sat across from him.

"Enjoying the party?" she asked politely.

_No_. "Yes," he said, ignoring the pounding headache that had started when Fred and George stood next to the punch bowl for five minutes.

"Was it not a beautiful ceremony?"

_No_. "Yes," he said, trying to forget that he had nearly been forced to sedate Fred and George.

"I 'ope Ginny recovers soon. I wonder why she fainted. Don't you?"

_No_. "Yes," he replied uncomfortably, "I do."

"And 'er shouting 'Arry's name! Zat was truly puzzling, was it not?"

_No_. "Yes," he agreed. Fleur raised an eyebrow.

"Unless, of course, it was because she saw 'im."

The effect of that statement on Remus would have been extremely amusing, were the situation not so serious. A muscle in his neck began visibly twitching, and his face changed shades faster than Tonks' hair.

"Well," he said uneasily. "That's absurd," he scoffed.

"Yes, it probably is," she agreed. "But zen," she added, assuming a thoughtful expression, "why would 'e be locked in a room upstairs?"

Remus spit out the sip of champagne he had just taken.

"What?" he exclaimed. Fleur smiled in a disgustingly self-satisfied way. "That's impossible," he said, his breath still coming in shallow spurts.

"No, it is not," she contradicted him. "I could show you, if you like," she added helpfully.

Remus stared at her for a long moment, and then he put his head in his hands, fervently wishing he had had more champagne.

x x x x x

She locked him in. She _locked_ him in. Harry cursed again.

He had trusted her, and she had locked him in the stupid room. What. The. Hell. Harry was not having a great day.

Maybe she was frustrated because he had refused to say why he had left in the first place. Maybe she was angry that he had tried to deceive her. Maybe she was hurt because he tried to leave the reception early. Maybe she was hungry. He had never understood women.

He suddenly stopped pacing. Maybe she had been bluffing. Maybe he _could_ disapparate. Concentrating, he tried. And tried. After trying for several minutes, he opened his eyes slowly, desperately hoping to find himself anywhere but the Grangers' home. Spotting the familiar armchair, he realized that his efforts had been in vain. He snorted. Why not? Weren't they always?

He let out a grunt of frustration and sprawled across the distressingly uncomfortable chair. Closing his eyes, he wished lots of pain on Fleur.

Harry nearly fell out of the chair when he heard a tap at the door.

Scrambling to get up, he found himself ardently hoping that Fleur had decided to show mercy and had come back to free him.

"Yes?" he called.

"Hello," a cheerful voice replied. Harry cursed when he heard no trace of a French accent. He groaned and fell back into the chair.

After a moment of silence, the voice spoke again.

"It's really much more polite to talk to me, you know," the girl said reproachfully. Harry rolled his eyes.  
"I'm only six and I know how to have a proper conversation," the girl called with more than just a hint of frustration. Harry no longer cared if Fleur let him out or not; he just wanted her to come back long enough to remove the child.

Seemingly sensing that Harry wouldn't talk to her unless forced to, the girl called to him tauntingly. "Fine," she said, "I won't bother you anymore. But I will go see Uncle Fred and Uncle George. Who knows, maybe they will help me if I tell them to come open a room for me. They won't mind if it's locked."

Harry, utterly shocked that a six year old was blackmailing him, sat in silence for a moment. It was then he realized that the girl must be Fleur's daughter. Contemplating this, he wasn't surprised at all anymore.

The realization also served to remind him that she knew he didn't want to be found by anyone else, and he knew if she threatened to do something, she probably would. Like her mother, Harry suspected she was no fairy princess.

Sighing in resignation, he decided there was no course of action but to talk to the girl. If Fred and George found him, they would probably write a song and perform it at the reception that was still going on, while bewitching him to dance to it.

"Hullo," he said tonelessly. The girl giggled.

"Well, it's no good if you act so gloomy about it," she said. "I'm actually really nice," she said. But Harry was not fooled. This was the daughter of the woman who had locked him in a room. If he wanted to be gloomy, he would. He did not recognize that he was acting much less mature than the six year old he was talking to. But then the image of himself dancing to a horrible tune created by Fred and George floated into his mind, and he decided he would be nice.

"I'm sorry," he said, though he didn't sound sorry at all.

She giggled again. "That's alright," she said. "I'm not actually here to exchange pleasantries." As Harry had guessed, the girl was obviously part of a conspiracy to torture him still further.

"Who are you?" she asked. Wow. Apparently the girl was much less intelligent than he had thought.

"I thought you knew," he replied smugly.

"I know you're name," she said, obviously exasperated, though it was difficult to tell through the door. "I want to know what the big deal is about you. You didn't look like you could have done anything terribly important."

Harry was now a bit more than slightly annoyed with the girl. In less than ten minutes, she had irritated him, blackmailed him, and insulted him. She was clearly not going to have any friends when she went to Hogwarts. Harry felt strongly that it would be no more than she deserved.

"So, what's going on?" she prompted.

Pride hurt, Harry replied a bit angrily. "I defeated the most evil wizard that ever existed!" he shouted, feeling that he deserved some credit.

"And then you ran off." Ella sounded very much like she was rolling her eyes.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Ella was convinced she had finally made some progress, and Harry was a bit miffed that he was being reprimanded by a six year old. And, though he would never admit it, he thought she might have a point, though she didn't realize how appropriate her statement was. What he had done completely overwhelmed the importance of defeating Voldemort. For he had become just as bad as those who followed Voldemort—just as horrible, even, as Voldemort himself. He felt his eyes burned as he re-lived that terrible moment, and the horrific feeling of realizing he had made a ghastly mistake.

"No one talks about you, you know," Ella informed him. It was amazing how good she could make a person feel. Realizing that her statement sounded awful, she quickly amended it. "Not in a bad way," she said. "Just…Whenever someone accidentally mentions you, everyone goes all quiet. They change the subject. And they get really, really sad. Aunt Ginny cries a lot," she said sadly. "They all miss you. Aunt Ginny most of all."

Harry couldn't stop hot tears from forming in his eyes. He hastily wiped them away, refusing to think about what Ella had said. Harry knew he had hurt them; it had hurt him, too. But he _had_ to leave. He couldn't bear it if they ever found out…

"You love her, don't you? And she loves you?" Harry barely managed a smile. Ella was weirdly perceptive, and she was almost disturbingly smart.

"_Loved_," he croaked.

"Then why are you crying?" she asked plaintively. How did she know that?

"I can hear it in your voice." That was just creepy.

"Harry?"

"How is Ginny?" Harry asked, ignoring the girl's question. On the other side of the door, Ella smiled sadly.

"She's doing well," Ella said. "She's been happier since—" Ella quickly stopped herself. She had been about to say that Ginny had been happier since she got engaged. But would Harry really want to hear that? He clearly still had feelings for her. Ella bit her lip and hoped Harry hadn't noticed.

Harry noticed. "Since what?" he asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

"Since…Ron and Aunt Hermione got engaged. I don't call him "Uncle" because he doesn't like me to; he says it makes him feel like a Prefect again, and he didn't like that very much. Uncle Fred and Uncle George like me to call them that though; they say it makes them feel like they have power they can abuse," she prattled, as she always did when she was trying to hide something. "And Uncle Percy—"

"Eleanor?" Harry cut her off.

Ella cringed slightly at the use of her full name. "It's _Ella_," she said exasperatedly, though she didn't actually care all that much. She just desperately wanted to distract Harry.

"Fine, then. Ella!" he called as she began the story about how they had chosen her name.

"Yes?" she asked in a very small voice.

"Why is Ginny happier?" he asked, clearly expecting an honest answer.

Ella visibly deflated, though Harry couldn't see her. In a defeated tone, she said, "Since she got engaged."

**Author's Note:** Please review!


	13. Resolutions

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it. Stop gloating.

x x x

So far, none of the other guests had realized there was anything amiss. They took the absence of the bride and groom in stride, making sly comments about early honeymoons. They had, of course, noticed that Ginny had fainted, an event they attributed to something she ate. The snails remained untouched for the rest of the party, though no one was sure if it was because Ginny ate some before she collapsed or because, frankly, they looked a bit dodgy.

Fred and George noted contemptuously that they had probably not sensed something was wrong because they were Muggles, and therefore were to dense to notice. Of course, the special punch the twins presented them with probably did nothing to sharpen their senses.

For whatever reason, the wedding guests were all dancing and laughing, blissfully unaware that one of the greatest mysteries of the wizarding world was about to be unraveled.

Remus, with great effort, lifted his head back up to face Fleur, who was surveying the party with satisfaction plastered on every centimeter of her face. He groaned inwardly. Though he was fairly certain she wouldn't run through the guests screaming, "'Arry Potter ees 'ere," one could never be completely sure with her. And if she didn't do that, she might very well do something else. He shook his head and groaned.

She looked back at him, a smile on her face. He tried very hard to not roll his eyes at her smugness. Her smile merely widened. He sighed.

"What do you know?" he asked tiredly.

"I know zat 'e ees 'ere," she began, "and I know zat you know zat. I also know zat Ginny saw 'im. I know zat 'e did magic, and zat ees 'ow you found 'im. Zat is all. What do you know?"  
"About as much as you," Remus admitted. "I also know that there was a reason he left, Fleur, and it's not up to other people to hold him hostage." Fleur had the decency to look penitent. They sat in silence for a moment.

"That's _all_ you could get him to say?" Remus finally burst out, revealing that he was just as curious as she was.

"Yes," she replied. "But," she continued, "I 'ave 'im locked in a room without a wand. I am sure we could get more information eef we tried."

They looked at each other for a moment, Fleur looking a bit mischievous, and Remus chewing on his lip nervously. Finally, Remus gave her a look and they were both out of their seats, heading for the stairs. Remus knew he should leave Harry alone. It wasn't his business at all. But everyone had been asking the same questions for seven years, and he reckoned it was about time to get some answers.

They didn't sense anyone watching them as they walked towards the stairs. But two pairs of eyes were following them as they made their way.

Fred and George Weasley were called many things. They could be described as mischievous, roguish, wicked, impish, or wayward. Take your pick. At Hogwarts, they had been famous for slacking off and filling up their time with silly pranks. A lot of things could be said about the twins. But no one could say they were stupid.

They had invented a whole line of joke products. Right out of school, they opened their own shop, which had been operating by mail-order even before then. They acquired goods at the best price possible, though sometimes through illicit means. Yes, Fred and George Weasley were very smart.

Though the majority of the wedding guests had not guessed anything suspicious about the events of the night, Fred and George had seen enough to gather that something was wrong.

First, Ginny had fainted. They both knew that their sister was not a delicate little girl, and they certainly didn't believe that some bad snails had caused her to collapse. Then, when she came to, she was screaming Harry Potter's name. Though they knew she had loved him, they could not imagine a situation in which Ginny would call his name for no reason at all when he had been gone for seven years.

Ella had then informed them that Fleur was busy and couldn't attend to Ginny immediately, an innocuous event in itself. But she had then scampered off, something deeply out of character for the six year old, who would, in normal circumstances, never have left the place where the most interesting action was occurring. And knowing that Ella was a smart girl, it didn't take much of their brainpower to guess that she had found something rather more exciting to pry into.

Their final clue had been spotting Fleur and Remus talking to each other at one of the tables outside. Though they were both very nice people, they weren't each other's first choice of companion. Then they had run upstairs together. And since a torrid love affair didn't seem like Remus's style, they suspected that something important that they were not yet privy to was going on.

After quietly observing Remus and Fleur rush upstairs, they turned to each other.

"George," Fred said, "I reckon it's about time we pulled out the old Extendables."

"I couldn't agree more," George replied.

x x x

Ella did not try to engage Harry in conversation after she revealed that Ginny was engaged. Though young, she could sense the melancholy that Harry was feeling. It was the same feeling she sensed in her widowed mother every day.

She sighed to herself and looked at the door hopelessly. When she first realized she had discovered Harry Potter, her thought was that it would be an exciting day. She had rather hoped she would be the one to unravel the mystery that was his disappearance and everyone would marvel at her outstanding performance.

At that time, she had not known Harry Potter. Now, not a half an hour later, she barely knew him any better, and it was clear to her that she would not be discovering the reason for his departure, nor would she be able to convince him to stay if he did not want to. She had not accomplished any of her goals.

Normally, this would have bothered her. But now, thirty minutes after she had met him, her goals had changed. Ella no longer cared to be the one who made him reveal the secret of his disappearance, as she felt that she had already made him reveal his most important secret.

That morning, Ella had not though the day would be any more interesting than a wedding usually was. Then she met Harry Potter, and things got more exciting, as tended to happen in his presence.

At that moment, she may have been the only person who didn't care why Harry Potter had left. All she knew was that her aunt loved him, he loved her aunt, and she was determined to see that they didn't bungle it up as much as they had before.

**A/N (Please Read!):** School has been getting a bit hectic, so I'm not quite sure where this fits on my list of priorities. However, if anyone at all expresses an interest in me keeping this up, I will be only too happy to do so. So, please review and let me know what you think!

If some people want this to continue, the updates will be fairly regular, about every two weeks, I think. But that's the pessimist in me talking. It would probably be more like weekly, though I'll say biweekly just to give me some room to breathe.

Thank you so much for reading this!


	14. Learning and Shouting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter characters, I'm just…borrowing them. Please don't sue. Unless I get to use a gavel when you take me to court.

"You were caught," Remus said. Harry looked up at him. Fleur watched amusedly from a squishy blue armchair she had conjured upon entering the room. It looked considerably more comfortable than Harry's chair. "Clever of you," Remus told him. Harry glared at his old friend, but said nothing.

"I would have thought," began Remus, "you would have been more careful." Harry rolled his eyes. It wasn't as if he had meant to be caught. Remus chuckled.

"I know you didn't want to be." Harry's head shot up, and he looked at the Minister suspiciously. It wasn't the first time the man had anticipated what Harry would say.

"Now," Remus said, attempting to sound authoritative, "there are some decisions to be made." Harry looked at the floor, ignoring Remus. Fleur smiled and motioned for him to continue.

"We should probably tell everyone you're he—"

"Why would we do that?" Harry exclaimed. Outside the small room, Fred and George Weasley looked at each other, disbelief etched on their faces.

"It can't be," Fred whispered. George hit him impatiently and signed for him to shut up. Ella sat sullenly on he floor where she had been placed so she wouldn't step on the Extendable Ears the twins were using, glaring at them. Neither of the red-haired men noticed.

"Well," said Remus, "three people already know you're here—"

"Four," put in Fleur.

"Four," Remus asked, frowning.

"Zere eez you and me," she said, holding up two fingers. "Ginny," she continued. Remus nodded. "And Eleanor." Remus froze.

"Ella knows?" Remus yelped.

"Ella knows?" the twins echoed excitedly, though quietly, as they rounded on the six-year-old.

"Ella knows many things," the pert child told her uncles.

"Does Ella know who's in that room with her mummy and Remmy?" George asked eagerly.

"Ella might," she confirmed. "After all, Ella knows many things. And Ella would love nothing more than to share her knowledge with her uncles," she said, smiling into their twinkling eyes. "For a price." The twins scowled.

Fred searched his pocket. "What does Ella know for nine sickles and a dungbomb?" he asked, showing her what he had found. Ella eyed them greedily, and reached out her small arms to grab them.

"Ella finally knows why Uncle Fred smelled so bad," she replied, pocketing her new acquisitions. Fred glared at his niece, and then at his twin, who was shaking with silent laughter.

George immediately sobered, and turned to his twin after giving Ella a wink.

"That wasn't funny at all," he deadpanned. Fred resumed his glare. Ella giggled.

When they heard raised voices from the room they were supposed to be eavesdropping on, twins and niece quickly crowded next to the door. Before Fred noticed, Ella snatched his end of the Extendable Ear and pressed it to her own, listening attentively. Fred, realizing that the girl was intent on torturing him, left her to it and pressed his ear against the door. George caught sight of his niece with the Extendable Ear and stifled a laugh.

"Fleur, you will not make him stay!" The twins looked at each other, eyebrows raised. They couldn't remember an occasion where Remus had ever shouted.

"I will, Remus!" Though they couldn't see her, he twins thought her eyes were probably doing the Veela thing. They surreptitiously looked for laces where they could run for cover, knowing that she might start with the fireballs at any moment.

Inside the room, Harry sat sullenly in his chair. He didn't like other people trying to dictate his actions. He glowered at Fleur, though she took no notice.

When the voices inside the room began to quiet again, the twins looked expectantly at their niece.

"Ella, who's in that room?"

Ella gave them a withering look. "I am not allowed to tell," she said self-righteously. The twins looked at each other. They had not used their influence all her life so she would start listening to her mother.

"Ella, love, this is really important. We need to know," George said in a voice that rather suggested he was talking to a baby, something Ella didn't take to kindly.

She opened her mouth to angrily retort when a feminine yell from inside the room cut her off.

"'ARRY POTTER EEZ 'ERE!"

The twins stared at each other, mouths hanging open in shock.

"HARRY POTTER'S HERE?" they shouted, merely because it was their first instinct to respond to shocking news by making lots of noise. Ella slapped her forehead.

Downstairs, Tonks, who was going back to check on Ginny, paused.

Next to the woman who had yelled stood a white-faced Harry Potter and an unspeakably angry Remus Lupin. Fleur smiled smugly, before waltzing to the door and opening it to reveal wide-eyed twins and an aggravated Ella.

Fred smiled weakly and managed to wave, while George stealthily put away his Extendable Ear. Ella seemed to have forgotten about hers, which was hanging at her side. Looking down, she realized she was still holding it and dropped it immediately, looking very guilty.

"Oh dear," said Fleur, looking immensely pleased with herself.

The eavesdroppers nervously made their way into the room. The twins' eyebrows shot up as they got a look at Harry. Feeling rather depressed, the black-haired man gave them a despondent wave.

Carefully shutting the door, Fleur turned to the group. "Well," she said, smiling, "zis eez cozy." Far from being "cozy", the small room was now quite crowded. Remus and Harry gaped at her, clearly thinking she was quite mad. The twins looked confused. Ella raised an eyebrow. Fleur smiled.

"You—But, it's…Y-you w-w-were…" George trailed off, gaping at Harry, who rubbed his head.

"Hullo," he said. George and Fred looked at each other, dumbfounded.

"So, uh, Harry," Fred began in a would-be casual voice. "Staying for a while?" Harry blinked, and then resumed staring at the twins.

"Jolly good to see you, old chap," said George, slowly recovering from the shock. "How've you been?

Harry groaned.

Realizing Harry probably wouldn't be sharing his story any time soon, Fred looked at Remus questioningly. Remus merely collapsed onto the red chair, ignoring him. Fred and George gave each other identical looks that Remus didn't care to try to interpret.

Behind the closed door, a rather ungainly, pink-haired woman hesitantly picked up the Extendable Ear that Ella had left in the hallway.

**Author's Note:** Due to the shocking number of reviews that requested it, and my semi-fondness for it, I will be continuing the story. But I might just say I won't because that seems to engender a staggering amount of reviews. Just kidding. I am so sorry that I haven't responded to all your reviews yet (I've been vacationing in Pennsylvania, where they apparently don't have computers—or at least my grandparents don't), but I will. Soon. I'll try, but school's been crazy. Even if I don't get to it in the near future, please keep reviewing!

The next chapter will be out by January 14. Thanks for reading!


	15. Finding

**Disclaimer:** I am the proud owner of Ella, but, sadly, own nothing else, a fact I bemoan every day. Please don't sue, I'm already depressed.

Chapter 15 

Ginny Weasley pulled the comforter up to her chin and snuggled deeper into the bed she was resting on. She closed her eyes, savoring the silence that had descended on the room since Tonks had left to check on the reception and get Ginny a glass of water. Ever since she fainted, Ginny had been surrounded by people, well meaning but incredibly irritating when all she wanted was to be alone.

Ginny's eyes flew open as an image that had been plaguing her entered her mind unbidden. She groaned and began massaging her temples, desperately trying not to think about what she had seen earlier that day, yet unable to banish it from her head.

Without the noise and bustle that had so recently been her constant companion, Ginny could find nothing left to do but dwell on the image that had been seared on her brain. Bright green eyes swam in the space before her, and she could feel herself getting lost in them, as she had so many years ago.

She groaned and buried her face in a pillow, giving a muffled scream.

Wishing she could stop thinking about it, but knowing she couldn't if she tried, Ginny gazed out the small window, inundated with memories and recalling the feelings she had for a boy a long time ago.

Not for a moment did Ginny ever try to convince herself that she hadn't seen him. No matter how much time passed, she knew she would never forget the way Harry's eyes proudly displayed all his emotions, just as the eyes she had seen this morning, bright with sadness and loneliness, had done. She recognized the man's mop of untidy, black hair, his brow furrowed with a fierce feeling, and the way he looked at her. Ginny Weasley knew that man better than she knew herself, and she knew full well that Harry Potter had been at the wedding that morning.

With his arrival, a flood of emotions had escaped, emotions she had tried to lock away and hide. Her tear-stained face reflected her inner turmoil. She felt so many different things, felt pulled in so many different directions that she couldn't think clearly anymore. All that came to her mind was the face of a man she hadn't seen for seven years, a man who she, though she refused to admit it, desperately wished to see again.

At the same time as feeling that she needed to talk to him, to hear his voice, just see him, she felt angry at him. Ginny wanted him to know the pain she had endured when he left, wanted him to feel jus a fraction of what she had felt—what she was feeling. She couldn't sort out her emotions, and her mind felt like a formless blob that couldn't help. Ginny felt like she was going to explode.

That's when she heard the faint echoes of voices shouting upstairs.

"What's supposed to happen now," Harry asked exasperatedly, looking at Remus. He noticed Fleur open her mouth to reply. "Not you," he said sharply.

Remus bit back a smile, but then frowned as he thought about Harry's question. What would they do now? He looked at Harry nervously.  
"Well," he said tentatively, "you could stay."

From their spots on the floor, the twins and Ella straightened and turned their heads to Harry, waiting with baited breath for a response.

Outside the door, Tonks was clutching the Extendable Ear to her own and leaning as close to the door as she dared, eagerly hoping he would answer.

On his seat, Harry squirmed uncomfortably. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he glanced around at all the people waiting expectantly.

Images that he had forced out of his mind long ago came back with force. He couldn't make himself look at any of his companions as he heard a voice in his head yelling, "Avada Kedavra!"

He looked at Remus, trembling, eyes bright with tears that were threatening to spill.

"I can't Remus. You don't know…I just can't stay here."

Fleur let out a derisive snort and turned her back on Harry. The twins gazed at him, mouths agape, still stunned that they were talking to Harry Potter. Ella was looking at him suspiciously, but said nothing. Tonks was almost one with the door as she tried to get as close as she could. Remus studied Harry's face shrewdly for a moment, before nodding.

"Alright, Harry," he said gravely.

Fleur spun back around, staring at Remus in horror. Fred and George seemed rather disappointed.

"What are we supposed to do zen, Remus?" she asked furiously. "Ginny 'as seen 'im!" Everyone looked distinctly uncomfortable at the mention of Ginny's name. "As 'ave all of us! Are we supposed to pretend zis never 'appened?"

Losing his patience, Remus responded angrily. "If that's what Harry wants, then yes! What he does is none of your business, Fleur. It's his decision," Remus stated firmly. Fleur looked mutinous.

"You may wish to let 'im go, Remus. I will do as you say, as I respect your judgment," she added disdainfully, as though she didn't care one bit about what he thought best. "But I will not," she continued, ice blue eyes flashing dangerously, "let 'im leave until I know why 'e left."

As one, everyone turned their heads to Remus, waiting for his response. No one noticed the protesting creak of the door as Tonks leaned herself further into it. It wasn't, however, Remus who spoke.

"I can't tell you that," Harry said through clenched teeth, wrestling the picture of a falling figure out of his mind. Fleur turned imperiously towards him.

"Zen you will not leave," she said simply, eyes blazing. He gave her a hard glare, but collapsed back into his chair after a moment.

Exhausted, he decided not to fight her anymore. Interpreting his silence as consent or, more accurately, apathy, Fleur gave a small smile. The fire in her eyes was replaced by a triumphant gleam, and the fire that had started forming in her clenched fist died.

Tonks dragged her head away from the door, as she could no longer hear what the hushed voices were saying. Remembering the Extendable Ear she had dropped earlier, when the argument had escalated to shouting and it had been ridiculous to use it, she looked for it on the ground.

Having located it, she took a step towards the wall it was resting against. Almost immediately she could feel the familiar imbalance and she wobbled precariously on her feet. Thinking she had righted herself and the danger was past, she took a breath.

Tonks went tumbling into the wooden door,

Inside the small room, Remus cringed when he heard the thump in the hallway. Not only was he accustomed to the sound and knew the fall it denoted, he realized that his wife must have heard everything.

Looking around the room subtly to see if anyone else had noticed the sound, he found five faces looking towards him, waiting for how he would respond. Sighing, he went to the door and opened it to find his wife pulling herself up.

She noticed him and smiled nervously.

"I didn't hear a _thing_," she told him. Remus shook his head and beckoned her inside.

Ginny had been walking through the hall downstairs, following the sounds of muffled shouting, when she heard a loud thump. Worried that it might have been Tonks, the red-haired woman made her way quickly up the stairs to the source of the noise.

When she arrived upstairs, she was greeted by an empty hallway. Frowning slightly, she glanced around to make sure she hadn't missed anything. Noticing an all-too-familiar, flesh-colored string laying outside a door she silently made her way to it. Crouching down she picked it up.

Checking the hallway again for any people that might see her, Ginny pressed the Extendable Ear against her head. Less than ten seconds passed before she was staring wide-eyed at the door and leaning against the wall for support.

No, she thought, it can't be. She sat down, heedless of the noise she must have been making.

Inside the room, the group paused and listened when they heard the second crash in the hallway in less than five minutes. Praying the sound had only been in his imagination, Remus reached out his hand to open the door.

**Author's Note:** Due to the fantastic number of reviews, I decided to post a little early. Next chapter will be out by January 21st. Of course, I will feel up to writing this Saturday, should…certain factors…persuade me. Coughreviewscough. Alright, I'm done shamelessly begging for reviews now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	16. Meeting Again

**Disclaimer: **To my eternal regret, I didn't create the Harry Potter universe. I merely force the characters to do my evil bidding. It's the one joy in my life, please don't sue and deprive me of it.

**Chapter 16**

Hoping there was no one waiting behind the door, and wondering whom it would be if there were, Remus opened the door with trepidation. Peering around it, he was pleased to find himself welcomed by an empty hallway. Opening the door wider, he stepped out and glanced toward the stairs. Spotting no one, he sighed in relief and turned to re-enter the room. As he was about to go back in, he spied a stooped figure with fiery red hair leaning against the wall.

If he didn't have so much composure, Remus would have started hitting his head against the wall.

He eyed Ginny warily, and moved slightly in front of her so as to block her from the view of those inside the room, who were craning their necks to see who else had found out about Harry. Remus cursed their curiosity. Giving them a warning look, he carefully shut the door.

Crouching down next to her, Remus looked at her for a moment. Ginny didn't seem to notice that he was there. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

Startled, she looked up at him, brown eyes wide and bright.

Hoping against hope that she had heard nothing of the goings-on inside the room, Remus asked kindly, "what's wrong, Ginny?"

She looked at him, still looking lost. He felt his heart pang in sympathy for the poor woman sitting in front of him. But then Ginny's face took on a new expression. Anger was etched firmly in her features, and she stood up suddenly.

The group gathered in the room saw a swift flurry of motion in the hallway, but still couldn't identify the person Remus was blocking from view, no matter how hard they tried.

However, during another bout of action, Fred and George were able to discern a swishing gown and red hair. They looked at each other, stomachs squirming uncomfortably, and steeled themselves for what they knew was coming next.

Face contorted into so many emotions it was now unreadable, Ginny pushed past Remus and stepped, blazing, into the room.

Harry looked up, and fount himself mesmerized by the brown eyes he had seen just as short while ago. He could feel his stomach doing the familiar flip-flops as he took in her appearance, not all that different from the night he had left seven years ago.

"You," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. Harry said nothing, and neither did anyone else. They sat there watching, knowing the scene would play out whether or not they interfered. Ginny was shaking, though no one could tell if it was from anger, sadness, or joy.

She gave Harry another hard look, breathing heavily. "What are you doing here," she demanded, eyes flashing. Before he had a chance to do more than open his mouth, Ginny noticed all the people gathered in the room.

"You knew?" she shrieked, backing away from them. "You all _knew_?" They looked at each other guiltily, unwilling to meet her eyes. Fleur lowered her eyelids and looked away, unable to stand the sight of Ginny's pain that was so similar to her own.

Ginny shook her head disbelievingly, and looked accusingly at each member of the group in turn. "I can't believe this," she muttered angrily.

"Ginny," Harry started, having finally regained his powers of speech.

"Don't you talk to me," she whispered. "Don't you dare talk to me." Turning swiftly, she ran out of the room.

Everyone stared after her in silence, with the exception of Harry. Driven to action by the rapid beating of his heart, and the fact that every fiber of his being was howling for him to follow her, Harry stood up and began to make his way to the door,

"Harry, wait," said Remus. "Give her time." But it was too late; he was already gone.

Forgetting caution, Harry ran into the hallway, wanting nothing more than to find Ginny, to talk to her, to just be with her. He hated the way she had looked at him.

Ginny tore through the house, unable to breathe properly. To have him sprung on her like that! She needed space. Harry continued to rush after her, heedless of the attention he was attracting.

"That can't be," gasped one witch who he had nearly trampled. Her companion stared after him in shock.

"But he's dead!" They looked at each other, and then they ran off to tell their friends that they had seen Harry Potter.

As his breath began coming in short spurts and he started to feel a cramp in his side, Harry found himself fervently wishing he had kept up with Quidditch training. Ginny sprinted further in front of him, taking so many turns that he was merely following the sound of her steps echoing through the halls.

He turned a corner, not paying attention to anything except his goal of catching Ginny, and slammed into someone who had been standing there, knocking her to the ground. Groaning, he began muttering apologies and trying to help her to her feet, but the brunette didn't move. He looked up to find her face white and her eyes wide, staring at him unashamedly. It was only then he noticed her white dress.

"Harry?" Hermione asked in wonder. Temporarily forgetting about his pursuit of Ginny, Harry crouched down next to his old friend.

They looked at each other for several long moments.

"I can't believe you're… This is…" Hermione's eyes began welling with tears, and she threw her arms around him. Suddenly something clicked in her brain.

"Ginny was running," she began, doing her best to restrain the tears that were threatening to start falling. "She saw you, didn't she?"

He nodded grimly. "Along with half the world," he said, noting the small crowd that was starting to form a few feet away. Hermione chuckled weakly.

"Did you see the…" she began, looking at him inquiringly. He nodded, grinning, as he hadn't in years.

"Congratulations," he said. Hermione smiled.

"Does Ron know?" she asked, trying to imagine her husband's reaction.

Harry shared her thought, and shook his head. "No," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "he doesn't." Hermione laughed and embraced Harry again.

"It's been so long," she whispered into his shoulder. He nodded sadly.

"It has," he agreed, staring down the hallway Ginny had ran down. Hermione noticed where he was looking.  
"Go get her," she said, smiling wider than ever. Squeezing her hand, Harry went to do as he was told.

Unfortunately, Harry had a bit of trouble picking out Ginny's path from the mess of hallways the Grangers called their house. He spun in circles despondently, trying to get some hint of where she had gone, when he saw a flash of red out the window. Seeing Ginny's figure flee towards the garden, he raced outside.

"Ginny!" he yelled, but she ignored him. He groaned and continued to run after her, the stitch in his side more pronounced than it had been before.

She looked back and saw him following her. Giving a little scream of frustration, she maneuvered herself over a wall and into a neighbor's yard. Harry paused at the wall she had climbed over, examining it, frustrated. There were many things he loved about Ginny Weasley, but her obstinacy was starting to grate on his nerves a little bit.

Sighing, Harry scrambled over the wall, ad looked to see where Ginny had gone. He spotted her sitting in the garden, and walked over to her quietly, so as not to alarm her.

Reaching her, he put his hand on her shoulder. Ginny gave a strangled sob and turned to face him.

"I've missed you," she admitted, tears streaming down her face. "I've missed you so much."

Harry patted her back comfortingly. "I've missed you, too," he said, voice cracking with emotion. "You're all I think about," he whispered. Ginny shivered, and she suspected it had nothing to do with the wind that had picked up.

The stayed their for a few moments, finding comfort in each other's arms. Then Ginny pulled away.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you leave?"

Harry shook his head and replied quietly, "I can't tell you that."

Ginny's temper flared up again. "You think you can just leave without telling anyone you're going, without telling anyone why? You think you can do that, and then come back, pretending nothing's wrong?" she cried.

"No!" Harry said. "I wasn't planning on this, Gin!"

"Don't call me that," she yelled, wrenching herself from his grasp. "You have no right! You left _me_, Harry!"

"You don't know why," he said. "If you knew—"

"Then tell me!"

"I can't!"

Ginny glared at him, and he looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry," he said.

"'Sorry' doesn't make up for it, Harry," she said quietly. He hung his head.

"I know. But it's a start," he added hopefully, cupping her chin in his hand and turning her to face him.

"Seven years," she whispered, forcing herself to look anywhere but his eyes. But it was of no use; her gaze finally met his, and she, as she always had, got lost in the depths of his eyes.

She could feel herself slowly yielding to his touch, moving closer to him, head tilted. She saw his eyes getting closer, until she closed her own and trembled as his mouth met hers.

Fireworks exploded in her head as he kissed her, gently at first, but getting slowly more passionate. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him right next to her body, deepening the kiss.

When she felt his tongue gently scrape her lower lip, she pulled away.

Eyes narrowed, she slapped him hard across the face. She nodded in satisfaction when she saw the outline of her hand etched into his cheek.

"That," she said curtly, "is for leaving." Getting up with difficulty, as her body had lost all feeling when he kissed her, she ran away.

**Author's Note:** I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. Please, for my benefit and the story's, review so I know what I'm doing well (a short list, I should think) and what I need to improve (a rather longer list). Look for an updat by January 21. Thanks!


	17. Reactions to a Kiss

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, sadly, no matter how much I wish I own Rupert Grint.

**Chapter 17**

Rumors were flying through the party, spreading like wildfire.

"Harry Potter, yes, that's right—"

"—Back from the dead, can you believe it?"

"—His ghost, he walked right through me—"

"—Amnesia, poor dear, can't remember a thing—"

"—Covered him in boiling oil—"

"—Kidnapped the Minister! A scandal!"

Naturally, no one had the right story. All those who actually knew the truth about what had occurred that day were still sitting in the small, upstairs room together. They had, or course, crowded at the only window and observed Harry's misadventure in Mrs. Next Door's garden. Now that they were satisfied the action was, in fact, over, they were ready to discuss the goings-on of the unexpectedly eventful day.

"Guess keeping him a secret kind of went out the window," George remarked. His twin shook his head in agreement.

Remus sighed and lifted his head out of his hands. "What are we going to do?" he asked. This caught everyone off guard, as they had rather hoped he had a plan, and no one met his eyes.

After several long moments, Fleur spoke. "Well," she began, choosing her words carefully as she realized no one was eager for her suggestions. "Not zat anyone could 'ave missed it, of course," she said, "but we should probably make certain everyone knows 'e eez 'ere."

Remus looked at her disbelievingly. "Excuse me?" he managed. She rolled her eyes, and he narrowed his own. "Fleur, we're trying to minimize the damage."

"Remus, dear," she said, her voice falsely sweet, "'Arry eez ze one 'oo ran out. Zis mess eez of 'is own making. I feel no guilt." Remus barely managed to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"That much," he muttered, "is obvious."

Fleur continued on as if she had not heard him, though any hint of warmth that had been in her voice was extinguished. "You can be certain tons of people saw 'im, and zey will not be so 'igh-minded as you," she stated.

"Zey will pass along zeir own leetle stories and gossip about it. All I am saying eez zat it would be better for 'Arry to 'ave 'is own version out zere. Eet would be better for you to tell zem what 'appened." She smiled smugly, and Remus silently cursed the validity of her point. If she was so evil, she shouldn't be so smart; it just wasn't fair.

"We'll have to ask Harry," he said warningly, and she nodded in assent. Remus didn't like one bit how much it looked like he was looking for her approval. However, he wasn't about to try to rebuke her, for several reasons. Firstly, he knew she cared about Harry, in her own twisted way, and was just trying to help him, still using her twisted, twisted ways. Plus, he seriously doubted she would listen anyway.

No one noticed that Ella had slipped out of the room.

. x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x .

Ginny, having run as fast as she could from Harry, found herself in the bedroom they had put her in after she fainted. She sat on the bed, still dizzy from the kiss. Her hand was still stinging from when she had slapped him, and that was to be expected. What was unexpected—what was entirely unwelcome—was the tingling she felt whenever she touched him.

She let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, and began rocking back and forth nervously. Telling herself to calm down, she stretched her body across the bed.

What was she supposed to do? Ginny couldn't deny the feelings that were being resurrected after all these years. She recognized that being in his presence was as intoxicating as it always had been. The kiss they had shared was as passionate as they always had been. But no matter how much she wanted that again, Ginny was not about to tell him that. After all, he had left her. And she was engaged.

'Oh no.' She was _engaged_. Richard was going to be her _husband_. She was getting _married_. And what did she do? She kissed _Harry_.

"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad," she said, eyes wide. "Oh no," she breathed, almost hyperventilating. "What have I done?"

Richard. Ginny was going to marry Richard, and they would be together forever. That made her happy. But the thought of Harry made her happy too.

"No, it doesn't," she muttered to herself. "Yes, it does," Ginny said before she could stop herself. Covering her mouth in horror, she continued to rebuke herself in her head.

'You love Richard. Very much.'

But it was no good. Green eyes and messy black hair kept flying through her brain. She could still feel his lips on hers.

'No, I can't—yes, I can.' She shook her head. "I'm my own worst enemy," she said under her breath. No matter how hard she tried to stop them, memories of the day overwhelmed her, pushing out any thoughts of her fiancé.

Until someone knocked at the door.

The wooden door opened slowly and silently, so Ginny didn't notice until the person put his foot in. She scrambled up quietly, trying and failing to quell the voice inside of her that was praying for it to be Harry.

It was Richard.

Trying to disguise the disappointed look that swept over her face upon seeing him, Ginny forced herself to smile.

"Darling," she cried as she flung her arms around him. The word sounded strange even to her.

"Hello, er, dear," he said, awkwardly patting her back. "Are you feeling better?" he asked in a business-like tone.

Ignoring the protests her mind was making against this treatment (she was sure Harry would never have left her side), she said, "yes," as sweetly as she could.

"Very well," he said, nodding his approval. Ginny stared at him. "I've got news!" he said, clapping his hand excitedly. She smiled. He really was cute sometimes.

"Well?" she said.

"Apparently," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows, "Harry Potter has made an appearance."

Ginny's smile became rather fixed. "Has he?" she asked, staring at her fingernails.

"Indeed. In fact," he added confidentially, "he has become Minister of Magic."

Ginny blinked. "Remus is the Minister," she said.

Richard leaned even closer, as if he was sharing a very juicy secret. "Mr. Potter has his ways," he whispered.

Ginny stared at him. "Where did you hear that?" she asked as patiently as she could.

"Everyone's talking about it," he said, as if his comments were common knowledge.

"Right," she said, unwilling to discuss the matter further.

"That's not all," he said in a sing-song voice. Ginny was now fully prepared to recant all the glowing comments she had ever made about him.

"Really? What else?" she asked in a monotone.

"Harry Potter is back for one day," he said, "and he's already snogging people."

Ginny heard something in her neck crack as she whipped it around to look at him. She suddenly felt very light-headed. "What?" she asked sharply.

"It's true," Richard said, nodding his head. "Loads of people are talking about how he was snogging a woman outside." There was a small noise at the door, but neither Ginny nor Richard paid it any mind.  
"Do you know whom he was snogging?" she asked rather stiltedly.

"No," he said sadly. "No one does."

Ginny lowered herself onto the bed, closing her eyes in relief.

"Are you all right?" Richard asked her.

"I'm fine," she assured him, her mind swirling with everything he had told her.

Richard gave her a look she couldn't quite read. "Okay," he said slowly.

Ella, who had been crouching outside the door, quickly put away the Extendable Ear she had filched from the upstairs room. She stood up carefully, so as not to make any noise and alert the couple to her presence. Straightening her dress, and patting her hair down, she knocked on the door.

Richard opened it. "Hello Ella," he said guardedly. He had never been terribly fond of the girl. Ella grinned at him. She was well aware of his feelings towards her, having manipulated them to her benefit on more than one occasion. Richard was easy to bend to her will because he was slightly afraid of her. She took after her mother too much for his comfort.

"Ginny," she said, knowing it annoyed Richard when she called adults by their first names. "Remus would like a word."

Ginny nodded shortly and made to follow her niece.

"Bye Richard!" Ella called happily, giggling at the odd color of his face.

"I'll come with you," he said. Ella stopped, her smile disappearing. That wasn't part of her plan.

"Actually," she began, but Richard cut her off.

"Lead the way, then." Ella glared at him, and he pretended not to notice. He wrapped his arm around Ginny's shoulders and began to walk with her down the hall. Ella stalked after them, muttering to herself angrily.

Harry's insides writhed uncomfortably as he walked in and saw Richard kissing Ginny.

**Author's Note:** In the coming days/weeks, I've got a slew of tests and loads of family celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). Because of this, I'm not exactly certain when the next chapter will be out. Sorry! It shouldn't be too long, though, and reviews will certainly hasten the arrival.


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